Jack of Hearts
by Darling Drusilla
Summary: Kyra 'Jack' Serra. A minor trip into the hospital results in a major change. A change from petty thief and child, to a Big Damn Hero and strong young woman.
1. Inara

Jack had never liked hospitals.

Ever.

Her useless appendix -good for nothing but exploding- decided to explode in the middle of her birthday party; Sweet sixteen her ass. The very briefest moment of chaos had taken place before Imam rushed her to the New Mecca Women's Hospital. Too bright, too clean, too full of the citizens of New Mecca and Alliance officers.

At least they let her keep her coat. Imam's old brown coat from his days in the war. There were a few bullet holes around the bottom of the coat, marring the soft leather, and there was one in the lower stomach. Right where the appendix was located. Jack never would have guessed Imam to be a browncoat, but when he gave Jack the coat for her birthday, she'd never seen him so passionate about something. Until she had to go into the hospital and he'd nearly cuffed Jack to get her into the car.

The doctors weren't letting her out for another couple days, they wanted to make sure she didn't tear any stitches or end up with an infection. Jack understood, really she did, but it didn't make it any less annoying. At least she had a decent view of the city. The hospital was set high on a hill, overlooking the red roofed buildings that surrounded the golden dome of the mosque. She could hear music drifting up ever so faintly and in the dark of the night, the city lights melded with the stars and Jack could pretend she was out in the Black.

A nurse walked into the room, smiling wide and handing Jack a plascreen. Nurse Callie was probably Jack's favorite of the medical staff. She often ignored Jack's sour mood and occasionally brought Jack up to her own level of cheer. Callie sometimes brought Jack an extra pudding or a magazine from the waiting room.

"What?" Not the friendliest greeting but the nurse took it in stride, obviously whatever news she had was far too exciting.

"The doctors ran your DNA through the database and you wouldn't believe it, they found a sister," the nurse spoke in an excited tone. "A bonafide Companion for a sister." The nurse sighed and looked at the ceiling while Jack looked at the screen in front of her. "How glamorous."

Inara Serra of House Madera. She looked familiar, Jack would admit that. Her eyes were very similar to Jack's own, as were the curls. The skin tone was off. Inara was darker skinned from time in the sun. She was shapely where Jack was still boyish and she had high marks in her studies.

"Does she know?" Jack was nervous about the answer she might receive. She had a sister. Would the companion leave her on New Mecca or take her into the guild to become a companion? Or would she take Jack in to her own home? If she did, Jck might become a servant or she could become an actual citizen. There were too many variables.

"They called her right away. Lucky for you she was in the area," the nurse stood, leaving Jack with the plascreen. "She should be here sometime tomorrow. I'll go fetch you some tea, alright?"

Jack nodded and the clock on the wall ticked slowly away.

Darkness fell and lifted with a single golden sun. Nurse Elsa came and went. She brought breakfast and went. Nurse Beth came and took the tray. Nurse Beth took her vitals and left. Nurse Liam brought her lunch and left. Then Nurse Callie came in, beaming as she led someone into the room.

"Miss Jack?" Callie walked further into the room while the other woman stood by the door. "You have a visitor. Would you like me to send her in?"

Jack nodded, swallowing thickly.

Callie went back to the door, nodding the companion in before she left the room.

Inara Serra was beautiful. The image she'd seen on the plascreen did her no justice. Graceful and ladylike in her fine silks and jewels but she looked just as nervous as Jack did. She moved over to the chair beside Jack's bed, asking with her eyes if she could sit. A simple nod.

The clock on the wall ticked.

"I don't remember you." Best to get that out of the way.

Inara gave a sad laugh. "I don't suppose you would. I was seven when the guild came. You were barely ten months." The woman poured them both a glass of water. "I did look for you. I haven't stopped."

She was being honest. There was a raw truth in her voice that even Jack couldn't ignore.

"Not what you expected, am I?" A minor stint in juvenile hall, bad grades, and not nearly as pretty. Jack's hair wasn't a waterfall of curls like Inara's, after two years of living on New Mecca it barely reached her chin.

"Actually, I'm rather happy."

* * *

><p>"You live in a shuttle on a ship?" Jack was on her last day in the hospital and Inara was hinting that Jack might come and live with her in the Black. Imam supported her decision no matter what she chose; Jack had a feeling he wanted her to go. Not because he disliked her, and certainly not because she got into trouble -very nearly her middle name-, but because Jack deserved a life she wanted.<p>

"It allows me to reach clients the guild might overlook." Inara was mending Jack's coat as best she could with patches of soft red and green leather. "I think you might like it. The ship, the crew. The captain is a bit pigheaded and demanding, and he's been shot more times than I know, but he's a good man with a sense of honor and loyalty."

"How do you know he'll let me on?"

"He will," Inara smiled. "I'm his only steady source of income. Having my sister join me shouldn't bother him too much. Not that I care if it does." Inara looked down at the coat in her arms. "I do believe he will like you very much."


	2. Sisters and Mercs and Tightpants

Jack sat at the kitchen table as Inara and Mal argued, chasing one another through the ship as they 'discussed' Jack's pending stay.

Staying or no, Jack was suddenly very aware that she would need to learn a bit of Mandarin.

"Can I see your coat?"

A black woman was sitting at the table with her. She looked tough and strong in tall boots and riding pants, she looked like a woman Jack wouldn't mind being one day. Jack handed her treasure over carefully, the woman picking it up just as reverently. Her fingers ran across the leather, pausing at stains and scuffs.

"Inara patched it up." It wasn't a question. "She works on mine too. Was it a gift?"

Jack nodded. "Imam gave it to me."

Zoe's eyes sparked before lighting up. Recognition, determination, these and more were in Zoe's eyes, even if her face was solemn.

"Mal." The passing captain stopped and looked at her. "She's staying."

"Now just a gorram minute, I'm the captain and-"

"And she has Imam's coat. We owe him sir." Zoe looked down at Jack, smiling ever so faintly. There was respect, a budding sort of affection in her eyes. "Besides, I think Bester could use hand with ship repairs."

Mal scowled, looking at the coat in Zoe's hands before he grunted and turned to the bridge, his own brown coat flaring behind him. The three females were left in the mess, Zoe handing Jack's coat back to her while Inara turned the kettle on to calm herself. The mess smelled like protein and rice and tea. Zoe was sipping at her coffee, scowling at it a second later before dumping it back into the coffee pot and pouring herself another. It must have gone cold.

"I never did catch your name," Zoe remarked as Inara stormed out of the kitchen. "Then again, you probably only caught mine because the captain was shouting."

"I'm Jack, but the orphanage said my name was Kyra."

"I like Jack," Zoe tilted her head in an almost nod. Her lips pursed as something on the bridge clanged. "Congratulations, you get to meet our pilot."

"Don't like him?"

"There's something off about him." Zoe scowled as the pilot walked into the mess. Jack didn't see anything 'off' at all. He was a bit colorful in a coral and teal Hawaiian shirt. She half expected him to be wearing flipflops.

"So you're the one who's got Mal in a fit," the pilot grinned, sitting down across from Jack. "Hoban Washburne, everyone just calls me Wash."

"Jack."

"Ooh, nice name, strong. Jack Serra...like some sort of mountain fighting hero."

Zoe obviously had no sense of humor. Wash was one of the funniest people Jack had ever met, especially when he started to fight an imaginary mountain. Inara returned around the time Mount Colossus pinned the pilot and when the mountain was overtaken some moments later, her sister was sitting next to her serving tea.

"Jack!"

* * *

><p>The young woman jumped, banging her head against the counter as Mal snapped. Pushing herself out from under the wood and metal, she saw Mal looking slightly repentant.<p>

"You all right?"

"Five by five," Jack answered, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. The other was holding a wrench and keeping the pipe from leaking. "Can you hand me the plumbers tape while you tell me what you're going to tell me?"

She'd been on board for nine months now. The captain, while a hardass, was a good guy. He took care of his crew and when he'd discovered Jack had minimal knowledge of firearms, he started educating her on their use. In the Black, a body had to know to defend themselves, Inara's sister or no. Jack's musings were broken when Mal handed her the requested item.

"Think you'll get that fixed 'fore we land?" The captain was crouched down beside her, looking at the pipes with a perplexity. Whoever said men were made for fixing sinks was a liar.

"I'm mostly done, just need to finish checking for leaks and tighten a few things up." Jack glanced at the captain. "Why?"

"Need to know if you can drive a mule." Mal wouldn't have asked had Inara was on board, but her sister had gone to see a client two days ago. "Got a job to do and I need Zo armed and ready."

"Inara's going to kill you one day," Jack tightened the bolt. "Isn't Wash our pilot? Piloting extends to driving and whatnot, right?" Jack didn't bother asking about Bester. The buhn dahn was about as good at driving as he was fixing Serenity's basic functions. Like leaky pipes.

"That it does, but he's going to be keeping our girl warm in case we need a hasty retreat." Mal poked a pipe, jerking his hand back. "Hot."

"It's the hot water pipe," Jack snickered as she tightened the last washer. "Do I at least get a piece?"

"I reckon we can get you one," Mal agreed after a moment. "You done then?"

"Yup, the showers are runnin' again. I'll go grab my coat and meet you down by the mule."

Mal nodded as Jack slid out from under the counter, turning away in his own brown coat. Mal's coat hadn't been patched like Jack and Zoe's had been. It still bore it's holes proudly and the stains, while faint, were still visible. Malcom Reynolds was a proud man, and while he might insist the war was over like Imam did, you could see in his eyes that he would never stop fighting. Jack liked that about him.

When Jack reached the bunks, she could see Wash joking around with Zoe on the bridge. He was wiggling his moustache at her and Zoe was seconds away from smiling. Jack had a coat to get, not a pilot and a first mate to watch, and when she slid down the ladder into her bunk, something glinted in the dim light of her room. When she turned the lights up, she could see a pair of broken goggles hanging out of her dresser drawer.

The last three years fell away when she picked them up. Broken goggles she'd grabbed in an attempt to be someone else. To be a badass when really all she wanted was a place to belong. She had just wanted attention and now she had it. She had a sister who called her Kyra and a captain who treated her like an adult. She had a teacher and a goofy big brother and until Mal found a mechanic who actually knew what an engine was, Jack had to deal with Bester.

Jack threw the goggles into her pocket and grabbed her coat, meeting Zoe as she climbed out.

"Hair's getting' long," Zoe remarked, picking up a strand and letting it fall.

"I need to give it a trim," Jack scowled as she picked up the fallen curl. "Ends are getting split and Inara won't stop making noises at it."

"Well, it looks much better long than it did when you came to us."

Zoe took the lead when they got to the bay, moving down the stairs while Mal approached them. Bester was sitting by the bay door in a lawn chair, relaxing in the sunlight instead of maintainging their engine.

"Well ain't you just lookin' shiny?" Bester called from across the bay. "Maybe when you get back I can take you for a drink?"

"_Kwai ju ka_i," Jack scoffed, thankful the captain was coming over. Bester was going to end up eating his own foot soon enough. Mal seemed to notice and drew her over to the mule. He extended his arm, giving her a handgun.

"Had it lyin' round," Mal told her. "Well, to be honest Imam gave it to me 'fore we parted ways. Figure it wouldn't mind bein' with you."

"It's light," Jack took the weapon. She'd learned more about Imam the Immaculate in nine months than she had living with the man for two years. Imam was a sniper and he'd only been shot once in his entire life; he took a bullet for Mal.

"Called it Ghost." Zoe was looking down from the back of the mule, her own Mare's Leg in her hands. "I reckon he still has Death Sentence."

"Ain't never seen a man with skill like that ol' _hun dhan_'s," Mal chuckled as he climbed into the mule. "Well, come on, can't drop the cargo iffin' we ain't at the drop point."

She was glad she'd grabbed the goggles. All of Mal's drop-offs were on dusty, dead Rim planets. Granted, it wasn't to smart to smuggle goods onto highly populated Core planets, but he could at least find a planet with a forest or trees. Jack's orphanage had been surrounded by trees and you could set your watch by the rain. Xibalba was like that; alive. New Mecca had water gardens, they tried to bring life around, but it just wasn't the same as walking into the jungle and smelling the flowers. It was like they said, you only miss it when it's gone.

"I wasn't going that fast," Jack scoffed as they unloaded the cargo. Her captain and Zoe had taken about five minutes to reclaim their bearings.

"Jack, I'm not even sure I saw the town we passed," Mal grunted as he hefted another box from the back of the mule.

"That's because you had your eyes closed sir." Zoe helped Jack to move the next crate to the pile. "It was a bit grayish."

"Was it now? I thought that was a rock pile."

"Might have been sir."

"You can drive back then," Jack scowled at the captain as he sat down on one of the boxes. His holster was unlatched and he was watching the dust cloud on the horizon.

"Trust me, I am."

Zoe was standing next to Mal when the buyers pulled up on a rickety old wagon pulled by two miserable looking nags. They looked rough, dirty, one larger man was eying each of them with a hunter's eyes while the leader's beady eyes watched Jack and Zoe with a leer.

"Would you mind disarmmin' these fine folk?" Leader asked the large man.

His hand moved fast, gun firing so quick that Jack could have sworn only one shot was fired. But Ghost had gone flying, Mare's Leg was on the ground, and Mal's pistol was by his feet in the holster. Jack's head whriled as the situation shifted. They were going to ghost her crew, steal the loot and-

"Now cap-" Leader was cut off by Mal's laughter, just as Jack's increasingly poor thoughts were.

"Gorram but ain't that some fine shootin'!" Mal exclaimed with a grin. "You ever seen a man do that Zoe?"

"Can't say I have sir." Zoe's tone was emotionless as she rested her hands on her head.

"Jack?" Mal turned to her with twinkling eyes. Good, he had a plan.

"Impressed me." It actually had, even if he was a big dumb merc.

"How much they payin' you son?" Mal turned his attention to the one who'd fired.

"Now wait just a minute!" Leader was losing control, anyone could see it.

"Seven percent, standard wage." He was Rim born with a rough voice and a hard accent. It matched him well Jack had to admit. Hard accents, hard eyes, hard muscles.

"Is it?" Mal's eyes widened. "Well damn, I'm payin' you girls too much." Jack could see Leader's eyes narrow as his nostrils flared. "You at least got you're own bunk, right?" the large merc shot a look at Leader, mouth pulling tight. "Really? You got kitchen rights?"

"Jayne!" Leader shouted at the large Merc. "You better not be thinking-"

A bullet from Jayne's gun ended Leader's shouts and summoned his screams instead. Jayne was looking at Mal in a new light as Leader stared at the hole in his knee with shock.

"How much you gonna pay me?"

"Ten percent of the profit, same as Jack and Zoe. You get your own bunk and full kitchen rights, same as anyone on my crew." Mal didn't even flinch when Jayne shot his other crewmate in his gunhand. "You mind helpin' us load our mule back up?"

"Crew ain't I?"

Mal and Jayne got the mule loaded faster than it had taken to unload it. The merc was strong, focused, and his anger at having been underpaid had him working fast. Jack waited with the others while Jayne dashed back to the wagon to grab his bag. It was big, bigger than Jack almost, but the man handled it easily enough.

"Jack gimmie the keys," Mal stood by the driver's door.

"Not gonna happen," Jack grinned. "Gotta put the new guy through some kind of test don't we?" She could see Mal agreeing, even if the captain was still scowling at her. Jayne for his part was looking at her with that same appraising eyes he'd had before.

"Fine. Jayne?"

"Jayne Cobb," the merc nodded.

"Right then, I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds, this here is my first mate, Zoe Allyane, and that there is our handywoman, Jack Serra." Mal climbed into the back of the mule, followed by Jayne. "Might wanna hold on to somethin', girl drives like a bat outta hell."

Jack was grinning by the time they pulled back into the cargo bay. She'd made every person on the mule squeak at least once, including Jayne. Although, Jayne's squeak had turned into a whoop as soon as it had escaped his lips. Zoe and Mal hadn't been so thrilled.

"Gorram, who taught you to drive?" Jayne asked after he hopped out of the Mule. He was grinning wide and his eyes had lit up.

"Riddick. Taught me how to steal a car too." And where to shoot a man so his death was quick.

"_Shi ma_?" Jayne grinned. "Well ain't that shiny..." His eyes fell to the gun on her hip. "Got a pretty nice piece too."

Jacked hopped down from the drivers seat, giving the keys to Mal; her captain looked a tiny bit green. "Just got it today. I haven't even had the chance to test Ghost out."

Mal called Jayne over before another word could be exchanged. Jayne Cobb was nothing more than a big dumb merc with a big gun strapped across his back and big muscles clogging up his brain. He was probably two feet taller than her, ten years older, and he was sweaty and dirty and Jack knew that she couldn't stop watching this man.

You never could trust a merc.

* * *

><p>Jack wiped her brow as she climbed down from the ventilation shaft. They were stuck on some dirtball until Bester figured out what the fuck was wrong with the ships engine. Being stuck dirtside always came with one thing though. Rats. Jayne had been helpful enough to help her figure out a sort of poison for the buggers, but when they died, the rats climbed into the ventilation and started stinking something awful.<p>

She still didn't trust him though. Jayne Cobb was a big meathead who went out drinking every night and came back smelling like a whorehouse every morning. Not to mention his room was a gorram fire hazard. The big ape had taken the room with the breaker box, a room Jack normally lived in while Inara was out, and his crap was strewn everywhere. He'd pasted a massive poster across the box and when she took it down Jack was certain the baboon was going to have a heart attack.

Jayne had moved the poster but he'd pasted five others up in it's place. Smaller, she could get to the breaker box, but it was still a fire hazard. Not to mention the girls were just gross looking.

"Vulgar," Jack snorted as she dumped the rat corpses down the trash shoot. Thing needed to be dumped soon; they'd spent too much time on the ground.

"Jackie!"

She released a breath as the mechanic came down the corridor. He was shirtless, pants falling off of his skinny frame. He looked like Johns but tattooed and younger.

"Unless you've found a new boat or you've fixed the engine, I don't care."

Bester grabbed her by the arm when she tried to pass him before pushing her against a wall. For being completely inept he was strong. "Take a break Jackie. Relax."

"I'm fine," Jack tried to pull away. "Shouldn't you be in the engine room? Or is Mal looking for you again?"

Bester only smirked, leaning forward. From this angle she could see the needlemarks in his neck. "Come on Jackie, let's get to know each other, explore."

The only thing Jack wanted to explore was a way to get Bester the hell off of her. The cologne on his skin didn't mask the stench of his sweat, sour and slinking.

"Kyra!" Bester jumped off of her as the gruff voice of Jayne Cobb filled the corridor. "Ain't you supposed to be doin' summat useful boy?" The merc was walking towards them, jaw set and brows tight. "Or do I need to tell Mal bout you runnin' off commitin' suicide?"

Bester scoffed, standing far from Jayne and Jack both. "Don't know why I was even interested, Bitch is _hur bao duhn _anyways." He didn't see Jayne's fist flying towards him, but he felt it.

"Get your_ pi gu_ into the bay Kyra," Jayne growled moving to stand over Bester. He grabbed the barely concious mechanic by the collar, dragging him to his feet. His knife was unclipped and before Jack knew it she was holding the merc's arm.

"Jayne, don't ghost him. Mal says no killing crew...and unlike some people you're actually useful." Jack could feel Jayne's muscles under her hand. "Please, lets just drop him naked in the middle of town. Hog tied even."

Jayne punched the mechanic again, knocking him out this time before walking away from the prone man. "Ain't worth the time. Not less we can find ourselves a better mechanic." Jayne looked her over then, his eyes doing the same thing they did every time they went on a job. Checking. "Where's your gun?"

"In my room, I shouldn't have to shot my crewmates." Jayne grunted before giving her a shove towards the door. "Don't push me. And why did you call me that?"

"Honest mistake. Now move so's I can lock the door."


	3. Copper Smile

I thought I'd let everyone know that this was going to continue all the way into, and obviously past, Serenity. I'm also going to put everyone's favorite convict in here somewhere. I'm just trying to figure out where...and when.

Also, I've bumped Jack's age up quite a bit. The movie has her at twelve and I don't remember looking like that at twelve. Sadly I remember looking like that until I was about fourteen. By this chapter she's around seventeen.

* * *

><p>"What in the hell is she doing?"<p>

Jack had been wondering the same thing, but she hadn't said anything. After Jayne knocked Bester out, and locked him in the corridor, the man had managed to get into town and find himself something to occupy his time. A ginger hair thing, petite and curved, with a kink for engines. She'd come through the kitchen just moments ago in a skimpy dress and stinking of sex.

"Some prairie harpy," Jack shrugged, sipping her coffee. "Thought you were getting into bar fights."

"On my way back out." Jayne set his empty mug in the sink. "Get yerself a blade girlie. Can't be watchin' your ass _all_ the time." The merc walked out of the mess, coat over his arm and hat sticking out of his back pocket.

It almost sounded like Jayne cared. Jack finished her coffee before heading back to the shuttle she shared with Inara. Her sister had come back last night and Jack was tired of sleeping on the couch in front of the infirmary. Putting her own cup in the sink -Mal had dishes tonight- she followed Jayne's path only so far as the catwalk and went to bed.

She tried to. Inara was listening to messages from possible clients. Annoying, but neccisary. Her sister paused the feed when Jack walked through the door, making the man on the other end gape like a fish before sitting patiently.

"Would you like me to move to the other shuttle?"

"I'll pass out as soon as I hit the sheets," Jack shook her head as she sat down. "I'd like to talk to you when I wake up though."

"They can wait." Inara flicked the screen off and turned to face Jack. "Whats going on _meimei_?"

Jack stripped her boots off, trying to think of how to say what it was she was thinking. She didn't even know what she was thinking, except that Jayne was slowly turning into a person instead of a big dumb merc. Maybe he'd always been a person though, maybe she just wanted him to be a merc so she didn't have to be nice. Now Kyra wanted to be more than nice and wanted Jayne to be just as not nice back.

"There's a guy." She settled on. "And he's rough, and dumb, and he annoys me to no end. But every so often, he'll do something that makes him seem like less of an ass." Kyra pulled the band from her hair, accepting the brush Inara handed her and working the tangles out. "I think I'm confused. Well, I know I'm confused. The last guy like that was a convicted felon who didn't see anything but a dumb kid."

"Well, you were a kid until a few years ago Kyra," Inara smiled. "Does this guy have a name?"

"Not important. I need to know if he's just trying to be friends or if he wants," Kyra waved a hand to finish her statement.

"If he wants more."

"I guess so." She had finished brushing her hair and was now staring at the brush in her hands. It was still so surreal. Living in silk and linen and flying through the black. All it had taken was a trip to the hospital. "Is there anything I should watch for?"

"I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with the way people on the Rim behave. It couldn't be too different though, men are men and women are women." Inara moved from her spot in front of the cortex to sit behind Kyra and started braiding her hair. "What would you do if he was interested?"

"I don't know." That was the worst part.

Sometime between hitting the pillow and opening her eyes they had entered the black. Inara had left the shuttle and the lights were dimmed low enough that Jack almost went back to sleep. Almost. Jack's previous thoughts assaulted her the moment she opened her eyes. The doubt and uncertainty and hope that maybe Jayne was something other than a dumb merc. Something that might be interested in a girl like her with a flat chest and only seventeen years to her name.

"Coffee," Jack finally murmured, pushing herself up from the bed she shared with Inara. "I need coffee."

Upon entering the mess, Jack was surprised to see Bester's slag sitting on the end of the table by Jayne. She was still in that skimpy dress, legs showing as she laughed at something Jayne said. Walking further into the mess, Jack went straight for the coffee pot on the stove, not even bothering when the ginger on the table greeted her. She wanted coffee ten minutes before she woke up and the tiny Jayne's running around her head needed to bi zui. Jack's grip on the coffee pot tightened as she set it back down a bit aggressively. It was empty.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think to make more," the redhead apologized.

"Here," Jayne handed his cup to Jack and pulled out the chair next to him. "Don't mind her none, Jack gets a mite tetchy when she wakes up."

"Oh, are you two brother and sister?"

"Are you here for a reason?" Jack snapped. There was no way Mal hadn't noticed Bester brought his trim on board.

The redhead wouldn't be cut down. She just smiled at Jack, eyes bright and demanor cheery. "I'm your new mechanic. Jayne came into town yesterday, started sayin' something about needin' a mechanic weren't interested in somethin' other'n engines." The redhead extended her hand. "Kaywinnet Le Fry, course everyone calls me Kaylee."

"Kyra Serra," Jack accepted the hand. "Call me Jack."

"I reckon I can do that." Kaylee hopped off of the table. "I'm gonna go down and see what else that baboon did to muck up Serenity. Nice ta meetcha Jack!"

Jayne rose from his spot at the table and started making another pot of coffee. The soft clang of steel and running water were calming. Enough to help Jack fully enter into wakefulness as she sipped at the cup Jayne had given her. It was sweet. Jack shook her head. The coffee was sweet, not Jayne. Jayne had just been supplying a crewmate with something to keep the both of them from breaking Mal's second rule.

"Thanks," Jack finally said when Jayne returned to the table.

"Weren't nothin'," Jayne shrugged. He was looking at the new issue of weapons monthly. A few items were marked with x's or circles. "Just coffee."

"I meant what you did with-"

"Weren't nothin'," Jayne said a bit more firmly.

Jack nodded, finishing her cup before heading down the engine room with a whirling mind. Jayne was so confusing. Zoe passed Jack in the halls, asking if all the rats were out yet before continuing to the bridge. Stupid rats.

The engine room was whirring differently than it had before. Happily even in the brightly lit room. It was cleaner than before and when Jack tilted her head she could see Kaylee's legs sticking out from under part of the engine. The room smelled better too. Jack went over to one of the cabinets, satisfied that her tool belt was still hanging from its hook. Something under the engine clanged before a crusty piece of something was tossed out from under it.

"Sorry about earlier."

Kaylee's voice was muffled. "Ain't no problem, kind of figured Jayne weren't your brother. Brother'd killed a man like that hun dan." Kaylee slid out from under the engine, covered in grime. "Kind a got a ring to it anyways, Jack and Jayne, cute."

"We're not like that." Jack focused on adjusting her belt.

"Really? Way he acts-"

"How does he act?" Jack stopped paying attention to her belt and crouched down to Kaylee's level. "Not that I care."

"Course not," Kaylee snickered. "Thought your jian was a companion, someone like her oughta know difference 'tween like and like-like."

"Sex isn't Love," Jack shook her head. "Not that I love him. He's Jayne. He's completely oblivious and he blows things up just like every other merc."

Kaylee looked at Jack, mouth twisting into a sly grin as she slid back under the engine. "Got a piece o' somthin' in here been muckin' things up. But I reckon Jayne might not be so oblivious as you think. Best tracker in the quarter."

"Jayne?"

Kaylee slid back out. "Yeah. Jayne Cobb, what part the 'verse you come from?" Her tone wasn't insulting, it was genuine and curious.

"Grew up in the Islamic sector," Jack sat down. Rats could wait a bit. "Spent a few years on New Mecca before jianjian picked me up."

"Really?" Kaylee asked with wide eyes. "Wow, I ain't ever even been in the black 'fore this. What's it like?"

"It's all right I guess." Jack wasn't used to talking to other girls, nor was she used to being the 'exotic' one. "The local governments don't really like to educate girls, but they don't let us sneak out of school either."

"'splains why you talk pretty," Kaylee slid back under the engine and another chunk of crust came flying out. "So? Gotta be more'n that."

Kaylee was all right.


	4. Serenity

In the five years Jack had been on board, Serenity had become her home. She helped her Kaylee maintain the ship, the first genuine friend she ever had, and Jack helped Inara organize her client list and appointments. She'd met a strange little man by the name of Mr. Universe at Zoe and Wash's wedding and they'd become something close to friends. She had Zoe's old room in the crew quarters and thanks to Jayne she could actually hit something with Ghost. Stupid Jayne. Three and a half years they'd been on the ship together, across the hall from each other, and stupid Jayne had turned into more of an idiot than he had been before.

Ever since Jack's 18th birthday he'd done little more than tease her about her figure and start sniping at her bad aim. Two years of dealing with an asshole of a merc and keeping his ass out of jail was really starting to wear at her nerves. Stupid man, lumbering about like a neanderthal, he was really only good for lifting heavy objects at shooting men from 500 feet away. Cooking too, and he wasn't so very bad when it came to playing his guitar.

Stupid Jayne.

"Everything looks good from here." Wash was siting next to her, concentrating as intensely as Jack was relaxing. "Yes, yes, this is a fertile land."

Jack opened one eye. At least she thought the pilot was being serious. He was playing with his dinosaurs again, the stegosaurus and the T-rex, one in each hand. The console was their new land and briefly, Jack wondered if they were going to claim her legs as part of their land. They were resting on the console.

"We will rule over all this land," Steg continued, including Jack's legs in the sweep. "We will call it...This Land!"

Jack had to snort with Rex. Steg never was particularly creative. Wash had heard the sound, shooting her a minute mock glare before he returned to his game.

"I think we should call it...Your grave!" At least Rex had a clever one liner.

"Ah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" Steg lamented as he tried to run up the console.

"Ha ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh!" Jack really did laugh at Rex this time. "Now Die!"

"Oh no, God! Dear God in heaven!"

Jack was distracted from the intense battle as a notification came up on the screen in front of her. A red light started flashing seconds later and soon, both pilot and tech woman were doing their jobs. Jack was reading whatever the hell Mr. U had just sent her while Wash started cursing whatever the red light meant.

"Oh motherless son of a bitch," Wash scowled as he started flipping his own switches. Her turned on the comm to share the news his screens were telling him. "Captain, we got incoming, Alliance cruiser, bearing right down on us!"

Jack let out a close mouthed sigh before informing Mr. U that she would let the captain know. They were in a bit of trouble right now and if Jack needed him to stop gumming up the network until they'd cleared it.

"Whatever you're doing better be done," Wash informed her as he started to shut the ship down. Mal had made the order a few seconds ago, and with as close as the cruiser was, Jack could see the rush.

"All done," Jack nodded.

"Shutting down." Wash started flicking the main power switches beside his seat, sending that room and many other into darkness. Jack reached over to the comm, reminding her friend to follow suit.

"Kaylee, go to black out," Jack told her through the handset. "We're being buzzed."

Her voice came back fuzzy. "Shi, going dark."

Jack had never liked the dark. Not before Hades, certainly not on Hades, and definitely not now. Jack was on Serenity now, and while that wasn't a whole world of difference, it was. She wasn't completely alone in the dark with cuthtroat dicks and hypes. Sure, Jayne was a dick. And yes, Mal could be a bit ruthless, but only in relation to the safety of his crew.

Jack was still afraid of the dark, but she was with a firefly. Just as she'd learned on Hades, a little bit of light could go a long way.

"Wash, they slowin' down?" Mal's voice came over the intercom.

Wash checked his equipment again, glancing at Jack as she shruged. "That's a neg. Don't think they're interested in us. We should be eating wake in a minute or two."

Jack would never understand how Wash took all of that from what was in front of him. She'd tried to pilot Inara's shuttle once before the crew banned her from flying anything airborne and spaceworthy. Like it was her fault the house had gotten in her way.

"Aiya!" Wash started flicking more switches. "Hwaile, Captain, we're humped."

"No we aren't," Jack replied easily, flicking one of the many switches in front of her. "Aren't you glad you let me finish what I was doing?" Before Wash could ask, he large ship was turning away from them and flying off. "Mighta helped a passenger ship send out a beacon."

Wash looked at her a moment longer before he laughed. "You have been waving Mr. Universe far too often."

"I think it's just enough considering I saved the crew." Jack put her legs back up on the console before picking up the comm. Kaylee got their engines going again a few seconds later, mentioning that she was so glad she could get down. "I think Steg was barely managing to keep Rex off."

"So he was," Wash agreed. "But, there is a twist. Push your boot over some."

Jack stood beside Kaylee, watching as Jayne pried one of the crates open with a crowbar. He'd pulled something, she could see it in the way his back flexed. His face gave him away too.

"Need a napkin?" Kaylee whispered.

"Shut up," Jack hissed. "He's an ass."

"He does have a nice one."

Jack would never giggle, especially about something like a man's ass and how nice it looked. Lucky for her, Kyra would. Kyra and Kaylee sat on the catwalk, giggling and making comments about Jayne, his ass, and various other parts of him that weren't too hard on the eyes.

"Would you two stop twitt'rin like a couple pigeons?" Jayne shouted up as the lid popped off.

Inside the crate, the two girls could see a very shiny, very gold, supply of bar shaped objects. Grade A Protein, Alliance marked and probably headed for some army base. That sort of nosh could nourish an entire troupe for a year. All the vitamins and minerals a body could need.

"They're awfully pretty." Kaylee leaned forward a bit further.

"Certainly worth the little risk we took," Wash nodded. He was standing on the catwalk a few feet from where Kaylee and Jack were sitting.

"Damn risky sittin' you did there." Jayne had removed his shirt and was now mopping up the sweat on his neck. Kaylee could admire the gold foil all she wanted. Jack's shiny had just removed some of it's wrapping.

"Oh, yeah, 'cause they wouldn't arrest me if we got boarded." Wash scoffed. His hair was starting to blend in with the skin of his face. "I'm just the pilot. I was flaying the ship by accident, same as Jack-"

"Don't bring me into this," Jack waved a hand in front of herself. "Although I might get thrown into the slam for hacking, mighta done a bit of clever math. Organized a weapons dropoff to-"

"Bizui!" Mal shouted. It echoed through the bay, bouncing off of the walls and filling the room with his annoyance. There's a protein bar in his hand; he's been staring at it since Jayne popped the crate. Jack and Kaylee both rose from the catwalk, moving down the stairs to get a closer look at the loot. The first stopped closer to Jayne, hopping onto a crate while the second moved closer to the captain, peering over his shoulder at the bar.

"We got a problem sir?" Zoe could see Mal's face in a way none of the others could.

"Couldn't say," Mal answered after a few moments. He tossed the bar back in and pulled the lid back onto the crate. "We'd best be getting' rid of these before we run into another Alliance patrol. Can't guarantee Jack'll find another boat to ping 'em with."

"What the hell they doin' out this far anyhow?" Jack asked from beside Jack. He'd put his shirt back on and while she wasn't Riddick, she could smell Jayne whenever he entered a room.

"Shining the light of civilization," Kaylee answered, nodding.

"Doesn't do us any good." Jayne folded his arms; Jack could see that he'd pulled more than something in his back.

"Well, we're uncivilized aren't we?" Jack poked him in the arm. "I think my sister's got something for your back." Jayne's mouth pursed before he nodded. "And your arm."

"Gorram but you'd have made a decent tracker," Jayne snorted as he stretched his neck. "We'll work on your aim next stop."

Yes, Jayne Cobb was an ass, and an idiot, and a merc, but he had his moments. Jack liked those moments. He cleaned Ghost for her, made sure she didn't catch hell from some of the fresher boys dirtside, and what he'd done with...Mal cut into her thoughts before they could finish. Thank god. That was a dark thought and Jack feared her own darkness as much as she feared the real thing.

"Right, let's get these crates stowed. I don't need any tourists stumbling over them."

"We're taking on passengers at Persephone?" The eagerness Kaylee displayed was almost cloying.

"That's the notion," Mall nodded. "We could use a little respectability on the way to Boros. Not to mention the money."

"Pain in the ass," Jayne snorted. Jack couldn't help but agree as she continued to poke Jayne in his sore bicep.

"No, it's shiny!" Kaylee grinned at them. "Meetin' new people, they've all got stories and-"

"Captain, can you please stop Kaylee from being so cheerful?" Jack asked. The captain had hung his gun belt and coat over the handrail and was walking back to them. He lifted one of the floor grates; a wave of his hand had Jayne down in the smuggling hold.

"Now Miss Jack, you know well as I do there ain't a power in the 'verse that can stop our lil' Kaylee from being cheerful." Mal started to shove another crate towards Jayne, smiling at the two girls. "Sometimes you just wanna duct tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month." Mal helped the crate down to Jayne.

Kaylee grinned, kissing Mal on the cheek before she started back to the engine room. "Love you too capn'."

~!~

Stupid Jayne. After stowing the cargo he'd taken to following her around and snapping rubber bands at her butt. It made sitting real uncomfortable after the fifth one, and as if to make things that much harder, he'd continued popping her until she'd run into his bunk and locked herself inside. Hadn't that been the mother of all mistakes. Jayne had hollered and crowed until Mal threatened to shoot him, and after the explanation of why Jack was in his room, the captain had ordered Jayne to take the mess couch and leave Jack be. She'd hoped to get out once Jayne cooled down, but the stupid merc had run up to the bridge and overridden the manual lock. But he hadn't let her out, heavens no. He'd locked her in until Serenity entered it's day cycle.

The scent of his room was driving her crazy. He was in the walls, in the grating of the floor, and the only soft place in the room, his bed, had her dreaming things that were just wrong.

Stupid Jayne.

"What'd he do this time?" Jack turned to see Wash looking at her with a grin. She hadn't meant to speak out loud.

"He's got another warrant on Persephone. I'm trying to clear it up before we land." Bar fights, always bar fights. Once in a while he'd surprise her and get a warrant for indecent exposure or theft.

"Might want to put a rush on it, we're breaking atmo in fifteen minutes." Wash grabbed the comm before repeating the message to the crew. Clicking the comm off, the ginger pilot prepared to enter the atmosphere. "Got any plans once we hit dirt?"

"Need new pants," Jack answered as her hands flew across the keys. The one thing Inara had never been able to break her of was cargo pants. "Been craving pomegranates too."

"Plenty of those," Wash grinned as the captain entered the cockpit. "Been craving an orange myself. How bout you captain?"

"Don't rightly care," Mal leaned forward. "Just make sure you don't grab any kiwis this time. Hate hearing the rest of the crew complain that their foods giving 'em trouble."

"We were thinking pomegranates," Jack grinned. One last key was pressed. "Right, Jayne can go dirtside now. Well, until he starts another bar fight." Or she killed him.

"Ain't happenin'," Mal shook his head. "While you and Wash are shoppin', we're going to deal with Badger and Kaylee's gonna try and hook us some passengers. Soon as we get back, we're going back home."

"Aye Cap," Jack nodded. "I'll go grab the list from the pantry."

Jack hopped out of the seat, grabbing her jacket off of the back before ducking under Mal's arm. She loved Serenity. On Hades she'd faced her own mortality, she'd believed herself to have grown into a certified adult. A few years on New Mecca showed her how little she actually knew, how unprepared she was for the world around her. Then Inara came, and on Serenity, she'd accepted the fact that she was still growing.

"Jack!" Jayne popped his head out of his bunk as she passed.

"Yes, I got rid of the warrant," She answered, continuing to walk to the mess. Jayne climbed up and started following her. If he had a handful of rubber bands she was going to shoot him.

"Weren't what I was gonna ask. I was gonna ask iffin' you could maybe get some lemons."

Jack slowed down before she entered the mess, allowing Jayne to catch up with her in a few strides. "I could do that. Are you going to make something lemony? Like maybe a lemon cake?"

Jayne grinned as he followed her into the mess. Ass he might be, but Jayne Cobb also knew how to apologize without sounding like a sap. "I was thinkin' on it. Assumin' of course we don't end up shot."

"You get enough coffee? It's a rare day that you or Mal doesn't get injured in some way." Jack grabbed the list up, scowling as she tried to figure out what the hell was written. "Jayne, what is this?"

"Hell if I know, that's Kaylee's writin'." Jayne took the list from her, pulling it back and squinting. "I think it's strawberries."

Jack took a deep breath, ignoring the scent of Jayne's cologne. It was getting harder to be around him and last night hadn't helped. Both were forced to grab a hold of the wall as the ship began it's descent. A can slipped, Jayne catching it before it hit the ground and Jack steadied the shifting kettle. Someone had gone into the kitchen last night and forgotten to latch everything back down.

"Surprised you don't have your gear on already," Jack mentioned as she caught a dirty coffee cup. Mal hadn't rinsed it or put it away.

"Got distracted," Jayne told her as he moved some of the containers back from the edge. He reached behind himself, pulling a knife from his belt before he handed it to Jack. "Sick and gorram tired'a seeing' you runnin' round without some kind of blade." Jayne looked at her once more, pausing as he tapped her stomach with his knuckles. "Need to cover that up too."

"What's her name?" Jack took the knife from Jayne, ignoring the jab at her clothing. Inara's old clothes really, hindi crop tops that managed to lend some femininity to her overall look.

"Emmaline. She ain't too much to look at, but she's sharper'n _guai_."

Jack smiled down at the knife before sliding into the waistband of her pants. "I'll have to get a sheath while Wash and I go out."

"Knew I fergot somthin'," Jayne grumbled as he latched the pantry. "Meet you down in the bay. And you best wait til I get it to you."

"Ooh, a knife," Wash leaned to look at Emmaline on Jack's waist. "From our resident mercinary's collection?"

"Gave it to me this morning."

"And thus, the male offers gifts to his chosen mate," Wash teased. "Has he started dipping your braids in ink yet? Or is he shooting you in the pi gu still?"

"Shut up Wash," Jack sighed. She was still smiling at the idea as they went to the produce stand. Lucky for the crew there were no kiwis. "Jayne's been nothing if not _chwen_ since Kaylee joined the crew. He's been dodging me like the plague since I turned legal."

"Course he has, Mal threatened to throw him out of the airlock if he tried anything on you." Wash picked out some carrots as he answered her. "Think we might find some potatoes?"

"You know Persephone overprices them. Maybe we can talk the captain into stopping on Dublin or Olmec. Get a whole crate of the things."

It wasn't until they reached the rice shop that they spoke of anything other than vegetables or fruits.

"When and why did Mal threaten Jayne?" Jack leaned against the counter as Wash made an order. The rice would be delivered to the ship by the time they got back. "Jayne's twice my age and almost every time we hit dirt he's at the whorehouse."

"Mal thought it would help dissuade relations between crew," Wash explained as he looked over the order form one last time. Everything seemed to be in order, because he passed it and the necessary credits over to the clerk. "Zoe and I kind of skewed that rule though. I suppose Jayne is just trying to be honorable at this point. Like you said, he's twice your age."

"So why is he whoring if he likes me?" Jack asked.

"Men are simple creatures," Wash answered. The clerk behind the counter nodded in agreement. "Jayne is a particularly fine example of how simple we can be. Until you decide to put your foot down, reject Mal's rule, and claim Jayne as your own, which is very attractive in a woman, he will continue to seek out ladies of ill repute. Not that I'm encouraging you to go and jump him."

"Maybe not, but I think I'm going to." Jack laughed outright when Wash scrunched his face up.

"Ya'll find any strawberries?" Kaylee asked from beneath her parasol.

"Sorry," Jack apologized, digging into the basket. "Did find some strawberry candy though." She tossed the tine of chewy candy to her friend.

"We get any passengers?" Wash asked, looking out for the riceman.

"Got three of em. Well, four if you count the coffin that one fella brought in," Kaylee answered. She had opened the tin of candies and was currently chewing on one with delight. "Yer a lifesaver Jack."

"Why is someone dragging a coffin around with them?" Jack asked, sitting on the ramp next to Kaylee's chair. Kaylee offered one of her candies and it was fairly close to strawberry flavored. Jack was spoiled from her time on New Mecca and tagging along with Inara as an assistant.

"Dunno," Kaylee shrugged. "Said somethin' about his 'dear old ma'. Man ain't got a ma no more'n I got myself a palace on Antoinette."

"Well he must have had a ma at some point," Wash pointed out. "How'd he come to be if he didn't have a ma?"

"Popped out of the ground," Jack explained. "Like a mushroom or a goblin."

"Touche, though I wonder, what kind of mushroom is he?" Wash often played this game with the girls. Being stuck on a ship together tended to form a bond and the three of them were just creative enough to get along.

"Well I reckon he's a Shitake," Kaylee supplied before Jack could answer. "That coffin ain't holdin' his ma and he done nothin' but flap his jaw."

"Clever! What's his name?" Jack finally asked.

"Toombs I think he said, he's got...Jack? You alright?" Kaylee was looking at her with concern and Wash had stopped scanning for the rice delivery man.

"He's a bounty hunter." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hand. "Nearly shot me before I settled on New Mecca with Imam. Whatever is in that coffin is going to get him paid."

"I'll be sure to tell the cap'n. Can't have a hunter chasin' us down 'cause he saw somthin' he weren't supposed to."

A moment passed before Wash asked about the other passengers. The only other one so far was a shepherd. Book was on his way to Haven with enough coin to cover his fare no matter how long their route was. He was a nice old man and he'd been rather pleased to hear how many were on the crew. He also had strawberries.

"Rice!" Wash cried out as Mal and the others returned. None of them had been shot, though they all looked a bit more upset than they should have been. Jayne in particular looked ready to punch something. Zoe grabbed her husband by the collar before the pilot had a chance to explain.

"Don't think I ever been called such as that," Mal furrowed his brows. Another passenger was approaching, watching the ship and crew with a critical eye. Kaylee was on the man quickly, asking his name, Dobson, before she welcomed him on board.

"Not you," Jack laughed, pulling her focus from the nondescript man. He didn't sit well with her. She pointed to the delivery cart behind him. "We have rice."

"We got lemons?" Jayne asked as he watched Mal sign off on the delivery. The merc's hands were seconds away from clenching. He was watching Dobson from over her head, eyes narrowed and his question only half interested. He knew she'd get them.

"We do," Jack nodded. "But you aren't seeing a one until you help get the food on board."

One more man approached as Jayne and Mal hefted the rice into the bay. A rich pretty boy in a tailored suit with round glasses. Kaylee was talking with him, but the captain was pretty boy's focus. It was when Jack moved to grab his bags that he spoke in anything over a whisper.

"Please be careful with that."

He sounded frantic almost. Fine. Jack was a bit more careful with the massive suitcase as she dragged it up the ramp. It was metal, it would be fine. She could hear Kaylee introduce the man to Mal, Simon, and when she glanced back she could see the pissing contest get ready to start.

Jayne met her eyes as he headed back down for the other bag of rice. He could see it too.

They were sitting in the mess later, the two of them, ignoring as the passengers walked around the boat. Toombs was the worst, he seemed to linger, eyes looking Jack over until Jayne chased the merc away with a growl. Her own personal watchdog. Always saving her from scumbags.

"Mal's gorram feng le," Jack whispered as she leaned against the counter. Jayne was making her cake and the batter was nearly as good as the finished product. "This many civvies and we..." Toombs was walking through the mess again, carrying a duffel bag to his assigned room. "How in the hell does he think he can hide that shit?" she finished in a whisper.

"You ain't sayin' half of it," Jayne snorted. His spoon shot out, missing her fingers by centimeters. "Ain't gonna have none you keep eatin' it."

"Maybe you won't," Jack smirked.

"Reckon cap's playin' loose again. Hopin they'll walk round with their eyes shut." A slight tremor went through them as they felt Inara's shuttle dock. "Big sis is back."

Baking would have to wait.

Neither Jayne nor Jack left the mess, preferring to clean up as they took to the air. It wasn't a two person job, but only too soon, Inara would be giving Jack lessons and Jayne would be under Mal's watchful eye. They rested on the couch, alone, until both crew and passengers filed in and found some place to either sit or stand. Inara took up residence on the arm of the couch, right next to Jack. Mal stood across from them, eyes on Jayne as much as they rest on the new passengers.

Only when Wash came in did Mal begin his welcome speech.

"Meals are taken up here in the dining area," Mal started. "Kitchen's self explanatory, welcome to eat any time, same as my crew. Standard fare and protein in all the colors of the rainbow."

"And some from the Underverse," Jack mumbled. Jayne grinned and the captain continued without missing a beat. He hadn't heard the comment even if he had seen her mouth move.

"We do have sit down meals, next one'll be about 1800."

Kaylee spoke up. "Shepherd Book offered to prepare somethin'."

Jack could see Mal's mouth purse and his eyes narrow ever so slightly. She'd lived with enough holy men that they didn't bother her anymore. One book was much th same as the other.

"You're a shepherd?"

"And here I thought the suit gave it away," Toombs snickered from his corner. He was leaning against the door to the passenger bunks, watching the room and Jack.

"Is it a problem?" Book asked.

"Course not," Jack replied.

"Nope," Kaylee agreed. "Ain't got no problems with holy folk."

"I gotta agree with my girls. New cook might be a welcome change in fact." Mal turned back to the group. "As I was saying. You're welcome to the dining room any time. Apart from that I'll have to ask you to stay in the passenger dorm while we're in the air."

"Bridge, engine room, and cargo bay are off limits without an escort," Jayne finished. He was in charge of public relations. Security detail should naturally fall to him. "Crew's bunks off limits no matter what."

Mal nodded in agreement, ready to speak again until Simon beat him to it. The prissy man was standing, his face drawn with concern.

"Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay," the pretty boy argued.

"I figure you all grabbed what you need," Mal's voice was low and calm as he spoke. "But as my security man said, he'll be happy to walk with you to claim 'em." Mal hooked his thumbs through his belt loops, a habit he was getting into recently. "Now, I have to say one more thing, and I apologize in advance. Alliance ordered us to drop some medical supplies out on Whitefall. It's a bit out of our way, but we'll get you all to Boros no more than a day off schedule."

Pretty boy opened his mouth again, this time a certain excitement lighting in his eyes. If pretty boy was a gorram hype Jack wasn't sure what she'd do. He was asking about the medical supplies, what was it they were carrying in their hold.

"Most likely plasma, insulin." Zoe shrugged, speaking for the first time. "Whatever they ain't got enough of on the border moons."

"Got a whole lot missing on the Rim," Toombs agreed. That was the first time Jack had ever heard him use a human tone. It was gone quick enough. "But Alliance tells a man to Jump, everyone jumps."

Mal nodded before instructing Jayne and Jack to take the passengers to the cargo bay. He exited the bridge with Wash, talking in low tones while Kaylee went back to the engine room. Zoe was ensuring none of their passengers strayed. As soon as they entered the bay, the passengers went to claim their luggage. Book claimed a small box and a bag before ascending the stairs.

At that same moment Inara stepped out of her shuttle.

"So how was business?" Jack asked. "Do I need to dash any names from your list?"

"It went well," Inara assured her. The shepherd stopped in front of them, obviously he wanted to meet every member of the crew. "Shepherd," Inara put her hands together in greeting. "I think this is the first time Mal's let a preacher on board."

"Are you two sisters?" Book asked politely.

"She's the elder," Jack nodded before extending her hand to the shepherd. "Kyra Serra."

"Inara Serra," her sister smiled at him.

"Don't be lookin' for a choir in them," Mal stepped onto the landing. "One's a Crislam and the other's a whore."

"The term is companion," Jack scowled at her captain. It was crazy, the taste the two of them had in men.

"Yeah, I always seem to get those two mixed up." Mal turned to Inara, ignoring Book. "How's business?"

"I don't service crew," Inara replied shortly.

Mal had moved on, looking at the shepherd with a cheeky grin. "She really is handy, an ambassador of sorts. Plenty of planets won't even let you dock without a companion on board." Mal feigned concern. "This isn't a problem for you, is it shepherd?"

Book floundered for a moment, trying to piece together what he'd been told.

"Relax Shepherd Book, I tend to keep to myself." Jack sighed as the ice wall went up. "You know, when I'm not out whoring."

She turned into her cabin, ignoring Mal's question about meeting the rest of the passengers.

"Maybe you should go and see if anyone would lower themselves to speaking with a whore," Jack answered for her sister. She bowed politely to Book before heading into the shuttle. To calm her sister down and find out just why she kept coming back to Mal.

The shuttle hadn't been fully cleaned. The smell of sex was still in the silks and the soiled sheets were bundled up in a bag. Sex was always in the shuttle, the scent and feeling of it; Jack was almost used to it by now. Her sister was sitting in the pilots seat, staring into the black as Jack shut the door and started shucking her clothes off. She wanted something clean to wear.

"Do you hate me Kyra?"

Jack paused in her search for a clean shirt. "Why would I hate you?"

"For bringing you out here when you could have lived a peaceful life on New Mecca. You could have gone to school, become an engineer."

"I would have been arrested and ended up in the slam." Jack found the shirt she was looking for and started looking for clean underthings. "I was already on my way 'nara." She moved on to look for clean pants. "You brought me home. Gave me a name and a crew to call my family." Kyra walked over to Inara, kneeling beside her sister. "Could you honestly see me sitting in a classroom? I can barely sit still at dinner."

Both of the Serras laughed. The younger continued her search for clean clothes as the elder started gathering the solid silks and garments that had managed to pile up. Once the ship entered night cycle they would go to the laundry room and Inara would tell Kyra all about her clients. Sisterly bonding.

Kyra had changed and Inara had finished when dinner came.

"You're not coming are you?" Kyra asked as she stood in the door.

"No, I don't have much of an appetite." Inara was sitting on their bed and looking at a photo album; her training days at the guild. "Go on ahead."

"I'll bring you something," Kyra assured her, ducking out and heading to the mess.

The cargo hold was empty of both crew and passengers, boxes had been moved around. The coffin was now sitting under Simon's massive suitcase and all that remained within sight was the protein they'd purchased and the rice that had been brought in this morning.

She heard the flick of a lighter behind her.

"Grown up a bit," Toombs spoke as he exhaled.

"No smoking," Jack turned to scowl at him.

"Cap said long as I keep it to this place right here, he don't care." Toombs took another drag. "Lets see, last time I saw you, you were hanging onto Riddick's pockets like he was your momma."

"You also tried to shoot me."

Toombs shrugged. "Riddick was standing behind you. Speaking of our favorite con-"

"I ain't heard from that _ta ma duh_ since he dropped me on New Mecca." Jack gave Toombs a shove back towards the mess. "Seven years is a long time. I have a life."

Toombs laughed as he walked in front of her. "Good for you."

The mess was nearly full, missing only Wash and Inara. The smell of Book and Kaylee's cooking had her mouth watering and even Toombs, for being the bastard he was, hurried his steps to take a seat. Jayne gave her a questioning look as she settled in beside him. Later she mouthed to him. Everyone was chattering around them excited to see fresh fruits and vegetables, some for the first time in months.

"Bad news?" Jayne asked quietly. He was like a dog with a bone sometimes, and if Jack didn't explain what happened now, he'd bring it up at the dinner table for everyone to hear.

"Just catching up," Jack shook her head. "You remember what I was doing before New Mecca."

Jayne nodded, looking over at Toombs before putting his arm across the back of her chair. For a moment, Jack wanted to look over at him. Enough people were already looking at Jayne for his action, Mal and Zoe first amongst them; Jack leaned back in her seat. A vein ticked in Mal's neck while Zoe continued making a plate for her husband. And Toombs? Well, he chuckled.

"Captain, do you mind if I say grace?" Book asked.

"Only if you say it out loud." Mal scowled. His mood was very sour now. Without waiting, he started eating. Some people followed suit, but Jack and Kaylee, even Dobson and Jayne, bowed their heads for a moment.

Jack savored her first bite. The preacher just might tie with Jayne for best cook on the ship. Speaking of which, she had a lemon cake waiting for her later tonight. Damn, she had a lot of things to do tonight. Bonding, accepting apologies, surfing through the jobs Mr. U sent out.

"So, does this happen a lot?" Simon asked. "The government commandeering your ship? Telling you what to do?"

The pretty boy really hadn't been off dirt had he? Any spacer worth his pay knew the government didn't commandeer a ship unless theirs was broken down or they were working undercover. But Dobson looked just as curious.

"That's what governments are for," Mal nodded. "Get in a man's way."

"Well it's good isn't it?" Dobson asked. "If the supplies are needed."

"Happy to be doin' good works," Jayne spoke before he put another bite in his mouth. It was his way of saying drop it. Dobson didn't know that though. None of the passengers did.

"I hear a lot of the border moons are in bad shape," Dobson continued. "Plagues, famine, raiders..."

"Exaggeration," Toombs waved. "Some of it. Terraforming wakes up some ugly stuff in the dirt sometimes."

"And sometimes the Alliance doesn't do much more than drop some settlers off with blankets, hatchets and maybe a herd." Mal had stopped eating to look into his coffee. "Sometimes they make it, sometimes they don't."

One of the things that st Jack apart from the rest of her crew was where she'd been born. She'd been an orphan, yeah, but the orphanage she grew up in was on a core planet. She'd never even been to the Rim until she boarded Serenity. She'd never really imagined a planet could be so hard to live on or the people could be so tired so early.

"I guess it's good we're helping," Simon nodded into his tea.

Kaylee turned to Simon, starry eyed and excitable. "You're a doctor right?"

"Oh. Uhm, yes, I was a trauma surgeon on Osiris. In Capital City."

"Long way from here," Mal echoed Jack's thought.

"I knew a surgeon on Osiris," Toombs admitted. "Course, everyone else called him a serial killer."

"Dr. Mathias." Pretty Boy could certainly pack some venom in his tone. "He should have gotten the death sentence, not some low security prison."

"Ah, see now, that is one thing I can agree with you on," Toombs grinned. "Less it's war or maybe self defense, murder is murder."

"Unless of course it's bounty hunting," Jack shot out. "Then it's just collateral, right?"

"Hey! Simon!" Kaylee almost shouted. "You're awful young to be a doctor."

"Yeah," The doctor was uncomfortable with the sudden attention he had. "You're a bit young too, to be a ship mechanic."

"Ain't nothin," Kaylee waved it off, "Bit of know how is all. Machines kind of talk to me. Not in the crazy 'kill all humans' kind of way."

"Well, both are a very rare gift," Book smiled from his seat.

"Ships ain't nothin' important, not like fixin' people."

Jack could have punched Jayne. "Little Kaylee here just wishes you was a gynecologist."

"Just 'cause you aren't getting kisich doesn't mean you get to act like a dick," Jack scoffed.

"Jayne! Kyra!" Mal shouted from the head of the table. "Both of you'll keep a civil tongue in those mouths or I will sew them shut. Dong ma?"

"You don't pay me to talk pretty, Just because Kaylee's-"

"I swear to god Jayne, I will lock you out again-"

"Walk away from this table. Both of you." Mal was glowering at them. Stone faced and scowling as if they'd done something so very wrong.

Grabbing her plate and the one for Inara, Jack headed towards the shuttle while Jayne took his own and headed for his bunk. All she'd done was try to keep Jayne silent. Any other day in the black Mal didn't give two shits about who said what on the boat. A few passengers and suddenly everyone gets in trouble for praying and breathing.

~!~

Jayne jumped when the brassy tech girl dropped into his bunk. She was wearing her usual gear, though her hair was hanging loose around her face and she was looking a bit shinier in her new shirt. He'd been minding his own business, sharpening Binky and cleaning his guns like all decent gunners ought to do when the captain kicked them out of the dining area.

"What in-"

"Shut up. Please." Jayne watched Jack kicked her shoes off and came to lounge behind him on his bed. "Inara won't shut up and Mal keeps mentioning airlocks."

What in the gorram hell was the girl talkin' bout? Well he understood the airlock. For the last Three years Mal had done nothin' but detail the air lock anytime Jayne so much as looked at Kyra. Zoe'd quit, lightened up, once Kyra reached legal age, but not Mal. Seemed to think his girls were just that. Like he were their gorram dad and he needed a shotgun if either of them so much as batted their lashes at some poor sap.

"Jayne."

"Yeah?" the poor sap asked.

"How long has Mal been threatening to shove you out of the airlock?"

Jayne set Binky down and looked at the girl on his bed. "Round the time Kaylee came on board. Tried warnin' me offa her first. Then he figured out I weren't interested in her."

"Kaylee wasn't interested anyways," Kyra moved to sit next to him. "She's got a brain in her head." Her head rested on his shoulder, curls tickling his arm as her shampoo hit his nose. "Unlike me."

It was a great release of tension to hear those words. His shoulders relaxed and his breath was back in the room. "Unlike either of us." He kissed the top of her head and went back to sharpening his knife.

Kyra pulled a portable cortex out, flipping it on and surfing through the data floating in front of her. He thought things might be different after he told her how he felt. Thought she might be uncomfortable around an old hun dhan like him and demand her sister put here somewhere else. Things were different. But they were easier. The tension had melted away and it was just the two of them, existing together.

"Shit." Kyra sat up straight and her fingers were suddenly flying across the keyboard.

"What?"

"Get Mal, tell him we got a mole. Nikomak!" Jack scowled at her screen, nearly hitting it before she continued to work.

"What?" Jayne exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"Someone's trying to hail an alliance cruiser, I'm diverting it to the mining settlement on Hades."

"Tai kong suo you di xing qui dou sai jin wo de pi gu." Jayne was climbing up the ladder seconds later, none too thrilled about telling Mal they had a Mole and how he'd found out.

Mal hadn't been too thrilled to hear it either. The captain focused on one thing only. The mole. He'd skin Jayne later, sure enough, but right now they were sittin' on top of stolen alliance goods and a bounty hunter's claim.

"go get Jack soon as she's finished. I got a suspicion about a certain young doctor." Mal looked at Jayne with narrowed eyes. "My girls got some powerful bad taste in men."

Jack and Jayne both arrived in the bay just in time to see Dobson holding a gun on their captain, the doctor and the shepherd. Toombs was standing on the catwalk, smoking as he watched the drama unfold. Even Inara was watching from the door of her shuttle. The doctor was a fugitive, but the lawman was going about it all wrong. He was arresting the boy in the middle of space with no holding cell, no restraints. Just a gun in the hands of a twitchy and pissed of cop.

"You think I'm a complete backbirth?" Dobson shouted after warning Mal away from his weapon. "You're carrying a fugitive across interplanetary borders, two of them if you count that merc's coffin." Dobson sneered. "And you actually thought anyone would buy that gou shi about medical supplies? To Whitefall of all the backwater rim rocks?" Dobson cocked his gun. "As far as I care, everyone on this ship is culpable."

Mal was calm down in the bay. "Well, that certainly has an effect on the landscape.

Jack could agree. She didn't feel like going to the slam because some pretty boy cut on a few people. What a bitch way to go.

"Please, we're very close to true stupidity here," Book begged.

"I got a cruiser en route for intercept," Dobson smirked, answering the question of what he thought he was going to do. "You got twenty minute to convince me you deserve to go free captain."

"Bit longer than that actually," Mal put his hands down. "See, one of the benefits comes with runnin' a crew like mine's I got me a mighty fine tech girl." Jack could see Jayne pulling his gun from the corner of her eye. "Went and diverted your signal to one of those rim rocks."

Dobson was livid, anyone could see it. He was shaking and Kaylee just had to come in at that moment. The gunshot echoed through the bay and Kaylee began to fall against the wall, a dark stain blossoming across her jumpsuit. One more shot followed and Dobson fell to the floor in the bay. Jack only heard half of what was said next, she was kneeling next to Kaylee, putting pressure on the wound while Jayne went down to the bay and started hauling Dobson to the airlock.

"What?"

"Got shot," Jack scoffed as she unzipped Kaylee's jumpsuit. The lawman had hit at least one organ. "Ain't a member of the crew til you get shot, remember?"

"Got her appendix probably," Toombs spoke up before he went down to the bay. "Lost mine ten year ago."

"Feels a bit odd," Kaylee grinned weakly. Inara was kneeling beside them now, gauze in her hands as she helped Jack to stem the flow. "Ain't gonna gum up my works is it? My 'ppendix being gone?"

"Most useless thing in the 'verse," Jack assured her. "Mighta done you a favor. They got a tendency to explode on you."

Mal joined them, pushing the Serra hands away to see the wound. The doctor was right behind him, concern and analysis written all over his face. The whoosh of the airlock told them Jayne had finished and the argument that followed told them all that Book was not pleased.

"Well, that ain't hardly more than a mosquito bite." Mal nodded at his girls.

"Big mosquito," Kaylee countered. Her face was too pale and her eyes were dilating.

The doctor was finally paying attention to her. "Can you move your feet? Kaylee, stay with me, can you move your feet?"

"You askin' me to dance?" Kayle asked before falling unconscious.

"She's going into shock."

Inara and Jack both called to Kaylee, mei mei, jian jian, as Simon pushed against Kaylee's stomach, causing her to scream. Mal pushed Jack back onto her ass when she tried to jump at Simon, instead picking up Kaylee.

"You know how to work out of a basic infirmary?"

"Yes sir."

"You're gonna save my mechanics life," Mal scowled as he adjusted Kaylee in his arms. "Then we're gonna have a little talk."

Simon was young, it was true. He was also incredibly confident as he operated on Kaylee some moments later. Jack had been sent out of the infirmary a few moments after entering the place. She was too jumpy, too uncomfortable around blood and she turned stupid whenever she was asked to do something. Now she was standing in Jayne's arms, looking into the infirmary as the fugitive, possible murderer, saved her best friend.

She was still unconscious when Simon pulled his apron off and started talking to Mal. Inara was talking as well, but Jack only took her focus from Kaylee when Mal stormed out of the infirmary, Simon shouting after him before he followed suit. They were headed down into the cargo bay. Jayne was pulling her along with him, though he needn't have, the shouting and general hubbub followed the captain down there, Inara just ahead of Jack and Jayne while various others joined pursuit.

"Don't open that!" Simon screamed when Mal got to the box atop Toombs' bounty. The hunter grabbed Simon by the collar as Mal started turning dials. A lever was thrown and a hidden seam sent frigid air out. The corners of the box released as well, revealing the semi innocent suitcase to be something much more sinister.

"Let's see what a man like you would kill for," Mal kicked the top of the box off. Simon was screaming and from her place on the stairs, Jack could see what had him shouting.

It was a cryo box. And inside, sleeping peaceful as a lamb was a girl about Jack's age. Dark hair, fair skin, it made Jack shudder as the realized the many features she shared with the woman in the box. Would Simon have come back, grabbed her if he hadn't already had his merchandise?

"He's a fuckin' slaver."

"I need to check her vitals," Simon tried to free himself from Toombs.

"Is that what they call it?" Mal asked.

"Call it rape back home." Toombs agreed, sending Simon to his knees.

"She isn't supposed to wake up for another week," Simon grit out. "The shock she'll have from-

"From what?" Jack shouted, moving down the stairs and across the bay faster than she knew she could. "From finding out you stole her from her room? Sold her to some kos khol _joo bah jeh_ for a couple thousand?" She would have kicked him if Inara hadn't been holding her back.

"Less this one's fer him," Jayne added. "Seems his type really, powdered and pampered, then again he seems a bit-"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the hold as the girl woke up, startling Mal and the crew just enough to take their eyes from Simon. The girl never stopped screaming, not for a moment, not even when she scrambled backward out of the box and pressed herself up against a crate.

Toombs had let Simon go, distracted by the naked teen, because Simon was in front of the girl. Inara had released Jack as well, removing her dressing robe and moving towards the nude girl.

"River?" Simon slowly extended his hand as Inara removed her robe. She screamed when his fingers touched her arm. "River. It's okay. It's okay, I'm here River."

Jack was ready to ghost the doctor when he rocked her, comforting her despite the fact that he'd-

"Simon?" the finally spoke, voice raw from screaming. It was soft, doll-like and delicate. She was crying into Simon's chest, rambling about They and Talking.

"They're gone, they're all gone now and we're safe." Simon ran a hand over the teen's hair, eyes full of pain as she continued to cry and ramble. "We're safe, I'm here."

The girl's sobs were the only sound inside of the room and when Inara handed Simon the robe, he took it gratefully, wrapping it around the girl in his arms. Even Toombs was silently watching. Waiting. Jack could feel Jayne's arm snake around her waist, holding her tightly as they watched.

"What the hell is this?" Their captain was always good for million dollar questions.

"My sister."

"Good gorram hell but this is _wu toh wu now_," Jayne scrubbed at his face as they waited in the dining area. Simon was in the infirmary seeing to his sister and Kaylee.

"We'll wait for the doc to explain himself." Mal was sitting at the head of the table with crossed arms. "Maybe you can keep us occupied til then. Tell me why exactly my tech was in my gun's bunk."

"Because we're together," Jack answered for Jayne.

"Don't believe I was askin' you lil' Jack."

"Only person on this ship ain't alright with it is you," Jayne looked Mal in the eyes. "And she came into my bunk. Weren't as though I forced her, I ain't like your last mechanic."

Jack hadn't told anyone what had happened those years ago, before Kaylee joined their family. Jack hadn't even told her sister. She was shocked he would use it in his defense, shocked, but not hurt. Jayne was nothing like that man. He did his job and he was damn good at keeping himself in check.

"Do I need to echo Zoe on this?" Jack spoke up. Everyone was staring between her and Jayne, mouths agape or brows raised. "Because I will captain. If you try to tell me that I can't live with Jayne, I will tell you to-"

"Enough." Mal cut her off. "You're near twenty-one now. And You," he pointed to Jayne, "Have been particularly well behaved. You keep doin' your jobs. No slip ups, no missing a man or a message, and I'll let it continue."

Jack could see the questions in Inara's eyes. She could see the fire in Zoe's. They were going to corner her later and question hr about what happened. Nothing had happened. Not really. She hadn't fallen for Jayne because of that day, she'd simply landed. Landed right in the middle of love and there hadn't been much for her to do except set up shop.

Wash came in a few moments later, looking around the many faces as he sat next to his wife. They spoke in low tones, each explaining what had happened tot he other. Toombs rose from his place, taking his coffee with him and heading towards the cargo hold.

"You forget your toothpaste?" Mal asked.

"I'm a merc. Just as soon not hear what the good doctor has to say." Toombs looked at Jack. "We're square now."

Jack nodded. "Until you see Riddick behind me again."

Toombs grinned before heading down to the cargo hold. There wasn't anything down there he didn't know about now. Only his bounty in it's own cryobox and a bunch of stolen goods.

"Would you like to share that little event?" Mal asked.

"Ran into him on a merc ship, took a shot because Riddick was standing behind me." Jack sipped at her coffee. "Didn't hit either of us. He's sayin' he won't turn Simon in soon as we hit dirt. Paying me back for the shot he took."

"I suppose I should thank you then." Simon had entered the room. He looked weary, but he sat down at the table and explained everything. Every single detail. From his own top three percent to River's enrollment three years ago. As he told his story, his eyes became more torn, his voice cracked and he held his cup to keep his hands from shaking.

"I got a few letters at first, once a week and then nothing but silence for months." Simon was getting angry now. "finally I got a letter that made no sense. She, she talked about things that had never happened, people we never knew. I'm not as smart as River, but I was smart enough to see a code." Simon took a breath. "It said two things. 'They're hurting us. Get me out.' So I did."

"How?" Zoe asked. "How did you do it?"

"Money. Money and luck, for two years I couldn't even get on the planet they were holding her on. Then I was contacted by an underground movement. Former employees, doctors who saw what they were doing. They said she Was in danger, the school was just a cover story, the alliance was playing with their brains." Simon leaned back in his seat as Jayne's hand rested on Jack's own under the table. "If I funded them, they would sneak her out in cryo. Get her to Persephone and from there, I could take her wherever. I took them another year to get her out of there."

Four years as a lab rat. "Jesus Christ." Jack leaned back in her seat as she processed what Simon had told them. Jack had always known the Alliance was a bunch of kosefil, but what they'd done to a human being, that was just wrong.

"Will she be alright?" Inara was sitting on Jack's other side; she'd been looking at Jack through the whole story.

"I don't know." Simon admitted. "I have no idea what they did to her, or why. I just know that I have to keep her safe."

"That's...quite a story son." Book reached a near shaking hand out to the tea kettle.

Mal was not nearly as speechless. In fact, his scowl just seemed to deepen and hers hands tapped a bit faster through the entire story. Especially once he found out the Alliance was behind the whole thing.

"Yeah, it's a real tale of woe. Very stirring, but I don't think you realize how much trouble you just heaped onto me and mine."

"I didn't think."

"Thats the trouble with you genius folk. You never think. Sure you're learned but you don't think about th rest of the gorram people you're choices effect." Mal was leaning on the table. "You don't think outside of anything cept yourselves and your focus. Weren't fer Jack, you and yer sister woulda been right back in that gorram academy and my crew, my family, woulda been executed soon as they saw us."

You could see it in Simon's eyes. He really hadn't thought about much more than getting out. He hadn't planned for anything beyond getting on a ship a Persphone. He hadn't though about River's reaction to waking up in a strange place or who might see her. And now he was a fugitive.

"Kaylee comes through, you and your sister'll get of at Whitefall." Mal rose from the table.

"If she doesn't come through?" Simon asked.

"Then you're gettin' off a mite sooner," Mal answered.

Jack was almost certain Mal hadn't considered what the rest of the crew might think. Damn hypocritical of him really. Book was going on about murder and Inara kept pointing out that Simon wasn't the one who shot her. Jack had to agree on that point. Simon had at least tried to do something when Kaylee got shot. They'd already killed a fed, there wasn't any reason thy couldn't carry a couple on fugitives for a while. If anything Simon's action had bumped him up from pretty boy to pretty man.

"Can we maybe vote on the whole murdering people issue?" Wash asked from his place beside Zoe.

"We don't vote on my ship because My Ship is not the rutting town hall!" Mal shouted.

"this is insanity Mal," Inara scowled.

"We're quite a ways beyond that," Washs norted. He turned to Zoe. "We're going to talk this through, yeah?" Zoe's silence turned wash from pinkish to scarlet.

"He was trying to rescue her. The alliance doesn't even know they're on this boat," Jack scowled.

"I'll not sit idly by while another man is killed." Book looked incredibly serious this time. He looked like an old general as he glared at Jayne.

"Shepherd's got a mean streak," Jayne smiled. "We best walk soft."

"Ni men dou bi zui!" Mal shouted. It was one of the few orders the crew followed tonight. "Way it is is the way it is. We got to deal with what's in front of us."

"Mal, you know those two wouldnt' last a fucking day in Whitefall," Jack spoke up.

"You throw them out I'm leaving too," Inara's voice was soft.

"We," Jack corrected. "I'm not too keen on losing my sister again. Jayne wants to stay, thats his choice."

Mal scowled for a moments. His eyes flashed with something, som sort of feriegn emotion that he'd never showed them before.

"Might be best you do. You ain't a part of this business and I don't need more of my crew shacking up together." Mal started down the hallway, simon stopping him right before he could actually get into the hallway. Fucking dick, after everything she and Inara had done for this ship.

"What business are you in exactly?" Simon asked. Mal turned and scowled at him but the doctor pressed on. "you're going to kill me anyway. I can't know? Gold? Drugs? Definitely not slaves, your former tech girl wouldn't let it happen. What are you carrying that makes you so afraid of the Alliance?"

Pretty boy had a bit of a bold streak in him. Good.

"you don't want to go down this road with me boy." Mal was all but growling and Simon was only getting closer, words getting a bit meaner.

"So you're not afraid of them?" Simon feigned surprise. "I already know you'd sell me out to them for a pat on the head. Maybe fly my sister right back to the academy for them. You certainly fit the profile of Alliance poster boy."

Simon was laying prone on the ground a few seconds later. Mal glowered at his audience before he continued back down the hall.

"Fucking an damagh," Jack scowled. She looked at Jayne before standing up. "If this is my last flight on Serenity, we're going to your bunk."

Jayne didn't argue, standing up and following her out the door. The rest of the kitchen's occupants followed suit. Inara left for the cargo bay to pack while Book went to go pray in his room and Wash went to the bridge, ignoring Zoe as he did so.

"Not ten minutes ago we're his family," Jack sighed as she sat on Jayne's bed. The gunman closed the latch behind them, locking it.

"Don't think for a gorram minute I'm just lettin' you walk away," Jayne scoffed coming to sit next to her. He dragged her onto his lap a few seconds later. "Just got you in my arms. I'd like to hold you 'fore I gotta let you go."

"Probably the most romantic thing I've ever heard," Jack smiled as Jayne rested his head against her neck. She could feel his heart beating against her own, his breath against her neck, the warmth of his hands on her back.

"We got plenty of time before we land in Whitefall," Jayne spoke against her neck. His whiskers tickled her skin. He shifted to lay on his side, pulling her down to lay in front of him. "Just go you in my arms."

He reached up and turned the lights down before he settled himself once more. For all of his gruffness and low behavior, Jayne Cobb was more of a gentleman than anyone she'd met. This, this was perfect. Wrapped in his scent and his arms and warmth. Mal always had a way of ruining things though. She was nearly asleep when he hoped onto the intercom. Jayne jerked awake at the sound of the captains voice.

"This is the Captain." his voice came across the comm, slightly fuzzy. Jack would have to see about fixing the speakers before she left with Inara. If they left. "We're passing another ship. Looks to be Reavers. From the size, probably a raiding party." Jack could feel Jayne tense up in her arms. Reavers were one thing that made Jayne skittish. "could be they're headed somewhere particular, could be they've already hit someone and they're full up. So everyone stay calm."

Jack watched as Jayne pulled a blanket off the wall. "I don't think you have enough."

Jayne only glowered at her for a second before he was out of bed and looking his guns over. He was in his hunter mode, handing her Ghost and quietly pulling a drawer open to reveal his ammo collection.

"We try to run," Mal continued on the intercomm. "They'll have to chase us. It's their way. We're holding course. We should be passing 'em in a minute, so we'll see what they do."

Jack sighed as Jayne handed her a smaller caliber pistol along with a few extra magazines. He continued to silently load his guns and check everything over. He was scared. He great Jayne was scared.

"Jayne," she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Come back to bed. They ain't gonna bother us."

"How the hell do you know that?" His eyes want to believe her.

"Someone told me I was psychic," Jack settled on, pulling him back to her. "Come back to bed."

She was right.

Inara handed Simon what medical supplies she had. Mal had chased the doctor from the infirmary and the man from the Core was seeking company from a similarly educated woman. Kyra hadn't come back from Jayne's bunk and while part of Inara was concerned, the sisterly part was happy Kyra had found someone she could relate to.

"Thank you," Simon smiled accepting the packets she'd pulled from her first aide kit.

"This is just the standard Companion immunization package. I'm not sure it will help."

"It certainly won't hurt." Simon looked at the packages. "Supplies down there are pretty rudimentary."

"Is there anything else I can do?" Inara asked, pulling her dressing robe closed. Here in her shuttle, she could pretend she was back in a guild hall, surrounded by silks in a society she was familiar with. She knew the rules on the core. Seven years out here and she was still lost.

"I don't think so. Not unless you can erase all records of my sister and I ever existing." It was a joke, but Inara's mind flashed to Kyra and her skill set.

"Kaylee is very dear," Inara settled on saying. She would protect her sister just as Simon would protect his. "To all of us. I think Kyra would be very upset if Kaylee didn't make it."

"I thought her name was...and the man..." Simon shook his head, obviously he'd misinterpreted her words. "I'm sorry. For, well for my part in what happened." Simon swallowed. "I never meant, I don't know-"

"You're lost in the woods," Inara cut him off, moving to sit on one of her couches. "We all are. Even the captain. The only difference is he likes it that way."

Said man stepped into the shuttle, as bold as brass and acting every inch like the sergeant he once was. "No. No the difference is the woods are the only place I can see a clear path." He turned on to Simon, full of anger. "What's your business here?"

"It's my business," Inara scowled. Her sister had certainly gotten the better man in this case. "It's the usual. I decided to give the boy a free thrust since he's not long for this world." Inara took a breath. "What are you doing in my shuttle?"

"It;s my shuttle," Mal folded his arms, as pigheaded as ever. "You rent it."

"When I'm behind on the rent you can enter unasked." Inara snapped. Simon crept out, quiet as a mouse as they watched him.

"Thought you were leaving."

"Well I guess that depends on you." On Mal's choice regarding he Tams more than anything. The day would come when she stopped putting up with his gou shi, but for now it rested on two lives.

Her gaze met his for the barest of moments. He broke away first, retreating back into his ship.

Inara knew her sister would follow, Jayne might as well if Kyra started acting as his agent. Then again, Serenity was steady work. The two of them might be torn apart. Kyra might stay dirtside or continue as her secretary. So many possibilities were waving in front of them.

~!~

Jack was really starting to hate her captain. This was the second time she'd nearly fallen asleep and Mal had kicked on the door, telling them to come to the bridge for a crew meeting.

She climbed out first, jumping a bit when Jayne pinched her ass. The first grabby move he'd made and it was something a teenager would do. As she climbed out of his bunk, she could see Mal watching them from the bridge, smiling wide despite the minor scowl in his eyes when Jayne climbed out a second later.

"Get into the reverend's special sweets?" Jack asked as she entered the bridge. Zoe and Wash hadn't fully made up, but they were apparently on speaking terms.

"Just get in here." Mal was grinning like an idiot. "Now, I reckon I might have overplayed my part a bit. But the boy brought a gorram fed on my boat. I can't just let him think it's okay to do that."

"This whole fucking thing was a joke?" Jack put up a hand. She had to laugh to keep from screaming. "All of it?"

Mal shrugged. "Even the part where I told him Kaylee died."

"You are psychotic," Wash leaned back in his seat.

"You shoulda seen his face," Mal laughed. "Oh, I'm a bad man."

"And Kaylee's really okay?" Zoe asked. That should have been the first thing he told them in Jack's humble opinion.

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "To tell the truth I didn't expect her to heal this quick. Doctor knows his trade, I'll give him that."

"All the book learnin' in the world and he can't tell when a man's lyin' bout his kid," Jayne snorted. He'd started to grin as well. His grin turned into a chuckle, as had Zoe's, and fairly soon everyone on the bridge was laughing.

A light flashed on to the console and Jack hoped over to the co-pilot's seat. "We're being hailed."

"That'd be Patience," Mal sobered a bit. "We're close enough for vid, put her up."

Jack did as asked before moving and letting Mal haggle with the old woman. She hadn't been around for the first shot. But she'd heard about Patience shooting Mal.

"I believe that woman's planning to shoot me again," the captain spoke as he stared at the blank screen.

"Maybe I'll get to see this one," Jack shrugged. Jayne had snagged her up again, pulling her next to him by her back pocket and keeping her there the same way.

"She meant pay you she'd'a haggled you down some." Jayne agreed with the captain.

Wash turned to face them, agreement in his eyes. "Just a little effort to Hide it would've been-"

The sudden crash of his coffee cup against an empty wall has all of them silent. The coffee is dripping down through the grate and the shards of ceramic remind Jack of the boneyard on Hades. It's silent for a half a beat.

"Sir, we don't have to deal with her," Zoe didn't move closer as she spoke.

"I could try to find a new buyer," Jack nodded.

"We got Patience," Mal answered both of them. They could understand why he wanted the old woman. She was close and willing to pay for illegal goods.

"Here's tiny concept I been workin' on," Jayne spoke up from behind Jack. "Why don't we shoot her first?"

Wash caught on. "It _is_ her turn."

"That doesn't get us what we need either," Mal shook his head. He was smiling ever so faintly. Shooting Patience might not be what they needed, but a gunshot wouldn't make her captain entirely unhappy.

"There's moons we ain't seen," Zoe continued to argue. "Moons no one on the boats seen, we could try our luck-"

Mal's speech was one of the many reasons Jack did love her captain. Kaylee had a softspot for the grumbly old bear; Jack would follow the rebel anywhere.

"You depend on luck you end up on the drift, no fuel, no prospects, beggin' for Allaince Make-work." Mal pursed his lips. "And you get towed out to the scrap belt. That ain't us. Not a single gorram one of us." Mal stood from the copilots seat and adjusted his belt. "Patience has got the money to pay and she will. One way or the other."

"I'm in charge of the other way, right?" Jayne grinned.

"Mayhap," Mal agreed. "Now, all of you get some sleep. We got a woman throwin' bullets at us and god knows what waitin' in my infirmary."

All of them filed out, Wash and Zoe first, they're room was the closest. Jack and Jayne stopped by his bunk, just standing there for a moment until the captain paused in front of them. His bunk was next door. From the way he was watching them, he obviously wasn't done saying his piece.

"I plan to sleep tonight." Mal was staring at the both of them. "I don't plan to hear anything."

"Ain't plannin' on doin' anything," Jayne shook his head. "We got a job to do."

"You trying to say something about Serra women?" Jack asked the captain.

Mal pursed his lips to hide his floundering thoughts. "Just go to gorram bed." He left them, mumbling about smartassed crew and sassy womenfolk as he climbed down into his room. Jack went in first, followed by Jayne, and the two of them resumed what they'd been doing when Mal interrupted them.

Sleeping.

~!

"Captain!"

Mal looked behind himself at the bounty hunter in the doorway. Jack was tapping away at her console as Wash started breaking atmo. The bounty hunter was smiling as he entered the bridge, hands in his pockets.

"Can I help you Mr. Toombs?"

"Mister, been a while since someone called me that," Toombs chuckled. "I'm jumpin' off here at Whitefall. Your ship and crew, a bit too crazy for my tastes. Fun, but crazy."

Mal nodded at him. "Sorry to hear that. Been my best passenger so far." Sadly it was true. Toombs hadn't pulled a gun on anyone or admitted to being on the run. He hadn't shot any of his crew and he hadn't harassed any of the womenfolk. "My tech can find you a new boat if you'd like."

Toombs shook his head. "My ships out of the shop, got a friend bringing it by." Toombs put a hand on the wall and looked at the ship. "Crazy fucking crew you got yourself."

Mal nodded as he watched Toombs walk off. He turned back to his tech and pilot, watching as they landed his ship on the moon below. It was always a rush, watching as your ship landed. Seeing the land coming up at you as the ship rumbled and shook. Wash had it though. Always did. Mal glanced over at Jack. She was 'talking' to Mr. U, trying to find them jobs or communicating with the docking officials. It was hard to tell.

The ship landed smoothly, one of the good things to happen since leaving Persephone.

"Right then, Wash, I need you to keep our engine warm. Jack, you see if you can't break into Patience's comm system, give us a heads up about her plans."

"Sure thing," Jack nodded. So far his concerns about her new living arrangements were unfounded. "She's working off something a bit old though, messages might not come through too clear. Might not even get them." Jack didn't slow down as she worked, manipulating signals and antennae.

Jack had been the first girl on this boat. Zoe was a soldier, a woman. Inara was a woman as well, beauty in motion and fully aware of herself. Not Jack. Jack had come onto this ship a child. The first of his girls even though the was the youngest. He'd seen the way her eyes lit up when he talked about freedom and living for one's own self. She even had herself a brown coat.

She was very close to becoming his favorite; if Mal ever saw Bester again he was going to shoot the hype.

"Once you've finished go visit Kaylee and the new girl." Mal pushed himself off of the back of her seat and started towards the cargo hold.

"Will do cap," Jack answered over her shoulder.

Yup. Jack was close to being the favorite.

Jack made her way to the infirmary having just finished telling Mal about Patience's plans. She'd been a rotten friend, she hadn't even seen Kaylee since she went into the infirmary. She'd been too distracted by Jayne and the rest of the crew to even visit Kaylee the last two days. The clunk of her boots on steel echoed her heartbeat, broken only when she sped down the stairs towards the cleanest place on the ship. She could see Kaylee's copper hair through one of the windows as she talked to the doc's sister about something or other, smiling wide and bullet free.

River was looking at her when Jack entered the room.

"Good morning, ish. It's almost noon dirtside."

"Jack!" Kaylee was entirely too perky for just having been shot. "Felt us land. Mal find a buyer?"

"Patience," Jack smiled. The Tam girl was watching her, head tilted as she listened. Kind of strange, but Jack had grown up with stranger.

"I think I'm plenty patient...oh, oh that's no good." Kaylee was nearly pouting. "He knows he's gonna get shot."

"Yup, and I don't even get to see it this time," Jack moved further into the infirmary, hopping onto the bed next to Kaylee. "I was right though, about the appendix, completely useless."

"Once it was believed the appendix would cease to be," River spoke up, voice fragile and small. "The scientists of 21st century Earth-that-was that was predicted it would stop appearing within three thousand years."

"And ten thousand later," Jack snorted. She leaned forward extending her hand. "Kyra Serra, call me Jack."

"The girl would take a boys name?" River asked in confusion.

"Why not?" Jack shrugged. "Picked it out myself, fit better than what I was being called anyways."

"And you got a man with a girl's name," Kaylee giggled. When Jack grinned back the mechanic's eyes got wide and she nearly squeaked. "Really? Aw, I always miss the good stuff. Are ya movin' in together?"

"No," Jack shook her head. "We're taking things slow. I did stay the night in his bunk though."

"Just got you in his arms," River spoke softly. She was confused, brows furrowed as she tried to figure out what she said.

Jack was equally confused. "Yeah. We kind of just, cuddled."

Kaylee did squeak at that, lunging to hug Jack until she was reminded of her bullet wound. As she winced and calmed herself down, Jack took another opportunity to talk with River.

"I got some clothes if you want something sides," Jack waved at the floaty dress River was wearing. Kaylee protested, arguing that River had some very pretty dresses. "Might be pretty but they aren't very warm. This ship gets cold at night."

"You grew up in a _ho tze_ infested jungle before moving to the hottest desert in the Helion system," Kaylee scoffed. "Everything is too cold for you."

"Deserts can reach sub zero temperatures during their night cycle," River spoke up once more. Her voice was stronger than it had been before. "The girl's name is River." She paused and looked at her bared knees. "She would appreciate shorts, if possible."

"Got a pair might fit you," Jack nodded. "My ass decided to grow some. But yours is about narrow enough."

Jack discovered that both girls were under lab arrest until Simon deemed them well enough to leave. Not a big deal, Jack knew where he old clothes were better than they did. Jack had been avoiding his sister though. She didn't know how Inara would react to a relationship with Jayne. She'd been fine with the crush but actually being with Jayne was a different story.

The shuttle smelled as it always had, though incense was replacing the scent of sex. Inara was sifting through her appointments, listening to various men and woman pleading, requesting, begging for her atentions. Inara glanced up when Jack entered, hitting pause before turning to Jack fully.

They were silent for a moment as Jack walked further in and sat down across from her sister.

"Nothing happened," Jack finally blurted out. Inara always made her feel like a child. Not on purpose, and it wasn't entirely a bad feeling, but it was there.

"I know." Inara smiled at her, placing a cool hand on Jack's own. "You can walk."

Kyra let out something between a groan and a cry. "How, that's...Inara." Jack never whined. Kyra did sometimes.

"A man like Jayne, he's stupid, but he's also very greedy." Inara let go of Kyra's hand and moved to open a cabinet. "Three years of waiting to touch you, if you'd let him, he would have locked the two of you in his bunk for as long as he could."

Kyra blushed, looking down at her hands as her sister laughed. The thought of Jayne and being intimate with him scared her. Not so much as the dark, but it was something to make her nervous. He was intense, much bigger than she was and more experienced. A part of her was thrilled by all of those facts. Thrilled to be the sole focus of Jayne and his touch. To be the last and only one he'd ever go to, the only one, it was half a dream.

"He likes to cuddle," She finally said as Inara closed her cabinet. "It's nice." Inara had something in her hands and Kyra really had to suppress making any sort of noise at what she saw. "Inara, please."

"Please," Inara agreed. "You're a grown woman. You'll be twenty-one in just a week." Inara sat down beside her and opened her hand. Kyra sighed and removed her shirt so her sister could give her the shot. "I wanted to do this sooner. I should have."

"I wasn't even considering sex before now. Well, sort of, but not going out and doing it."

"No," Inara shook her head. Her mouth was drawn as she slid the needle into Jack's vein. "But things can happen in the black."

Kyra knew what she was talking about. The still unknown event between herself and Bester. Kyra hadn't even admitted his name since the event. "Jayne walked in before he even touched me. I was taking trash to the incinerator. He came in and before he even touched me, Jayne was there." Jack watched as Inara pressed a cotton ball against Jack's skin and withdrew the needle. She was silent. "I guess Jayne went into town that night and found Kaylee. They never did tell me how it went down, but Kaylee is here. He's stranded or dead. And Jayne is still being a gentleman."

"Not something you would expect from a man like Jayne," Inara finally smiled. She glanced don and Jack's hands. "For our guest?"

"Hm? Yeah," Jack rose from the bed, arm still sore. "Sometimes a girl just needs shorts."

"I think I'm going to keep looking through some of our stuff," Inara nodded in agreement.

Jack reached the infirmary around the time Kaylee was walking out. Simon was inside, doting and hemming and squawking over a clearly annoyed River.

"Doc's givn' me a headache with all his fussin'," Kaylee pursed her lips at the infirmary. "Think Riv's made outta china by the way he's carryin' on."

Jack saw River move from annoyance to irritation. "Did the doc clear you to leave?" If the look on Kaylee's face was any judge, he clearly hadn't. It made Jack laugh out loud. "Alright, well I'm not about to snitch so go, get something to drink. Wash is getting a live feed from the headsets."

Kaylee's eyes widened and she darted off as fast as she was able to. That left Jack with the Tams, one of which was looking at her with an almost pleading expression. Jack squared her shoulders, regretting it as the muscles pulled against the injection point. Never mind, no squared shoulders. River was very nearly smiling at her when Jack walked into the infirmary.

"Hey," Jack ducked in, walking over to River's cot and hopping onto it. She passed the shorts over, houndstooth mini shorts with more pockets than something that size needed. "Inara's finding some leggings I think."

"You, Miss Serra, you really shouldn't-"

Jack raised a brow at him. "Are you a chick?"

"Excuse me?" Simon asked, confusion was all over his face.

"A chick, with a vagina and breasts?" Simon opened his mouth. "Exactly, you also don't have to run around this ship in a dress. It gets pretty fucking cold during the night cycle, and unless you have something against your sister making friends, she's getting shorts."

River was already shimmying into her new old shorts, smiling as she buttoned them up.

"I, you shouldn't be on the table," Simon finally got out. Was that what he meant to say. "It's sterile and you have engine grease on you and-"

"She appreciates his concern," River hopped back onto the exam table. "But the girl is not running around with an open wound." River pointed at Kaylee's vacated spot. When Simon gaped, mouth moving much like that of a fish, Jack had to hold back a snicker. She let it loose when Simon darted out, medical bag in hand as he started searching for Kaylee.

"She appreciates what the girl has done as well."

Jack looked at River with a tilted head. "Did you always used to do that? Talk in Third person unlimited?"

"Limited," River shook her head. "The girl does not know all. Only most." River tilted her head. "The girl, the river did not always flow as such."

Jack only nodded. You could tell by the way Simon acted that she wasn't the same as before. "I'm not the same as I was before either. There was this planet, Hades. Until that planet, I was a girl trying to be a boy."

"She lived in the Islamic sector."

Jack nodded. "It was easier, girls aren't worth much there but a boy, a boy gets to do anything he wants. Then Hades came, and I wanted to be just like Riddick."

"But Jack is not a killer." River had her head tilted to the side. "Does not enjoy the sweet spot nor peppermint schnapps."

Jack furrowed her brows at the girl. She was strange. She knew things people weren't supposed to know, or if they did, they hadn't heard it the way Jack had. Things Jayne had told her in the dim lights and things no one else had heard on Hades. She could see them as plain and clear as if she'd been there.

"She hears things," River answered her unasked questions. "Things buried in the darkness. She doesn't want to hear them, wasn't meant to hear them but she does and they echo through her brain and the Spirits-"

"River!" Jack put a hand on the teens shoulder. "River, it's okay. I'm not upset."

"She is not the girl anymore," River shook her head.

"I didn't know the old River," Jack rolled her eyes. "So I can't really expect you to act like her can I?" River sat there, eyes misty and feral, trying very hard to comprehend Jack's words. Well, telepaths could read minds. "River, look at me. My thoughts, the girl back in the orphange, Sera."

"Patient suffered mass trauma to the brain," River recited the facts as though she were reading a textbook. "3/4 inch steel bar driven into the back of the skull by father. Given to the state." River's eyes softened ever so slightly. "Shared a room with the Jack."

"See? Crazy? Nothing new. I've known some real crazy _kanith_ and really, I just need to learn your language."

"As she learned the tongue of the holy man." River had calmed somewhat, though she was still rubbing at her temple with a wrist. Jack hopped down from the table and straightened her pants. She really needed to get some new ones. These ones were stained with Kaylee's blood and engine grease and food grease and all number of things.

"You want some tea?"

River blinked at her before she slid down from the bench, bare toes touching the cold tile. "She would like some tea."

They walked quietly, calmly, to the mess, Jack telling River about each of the crew. It wasn't until they actually entered the mess that River asked about the Holy Man and the Beast. The first was easy to figure out, the second took a few moments. She wanted to know about Riddick.

"Well, let's see," Jack sat down at the table, spooning out tea leaves into a strainer. "Imam...he was a cool guy. Not many holy men would do what he did for a girl. Take her in, willingly, educate her and treat her as a guest. A lot of people in New Mecca still hold to the old ways. The entire sector actually. Not Imam. He gave me his brown coat actually."

"Fought against the Alliance," River whispered. "The girl once feared the browncoats. Now she finds safety in them."

"Isn't that the way things tend to work," Jack laughed. "I sent him a wave a while back, asked if he was okay with me having Ghost. He wasn't thrilled with me having a gun but he was glad I was using his instead of some hunk of _zarba."_

Jack hadn't noticed River get up, but she did notice when River set the kettle on the table. Jack nodded her thanks before pouring it into the teapot. There wasn't a lot to do in the Black besides practice manners and make tea. Times like these, Kyra was glad her sister had taken the time to teach her. Kyra was glad she'd listened too. The mess filled with the scent of lavender and chamomile as the clock on the wall ticked slowly by.

"Will she tell the girl of the Beast?" River asked as Jack poured her a cup.

Kyra inhaled through her nose. "Riddick was the closest thing to a brother I'd ever thought of having. Thought he was the best a kid like me could hope for." Until Inara came and brought her home. "He's, well he's a lot of things. He's damn fearless for one. I don't think I've ever seen someone stare a monster down like that. Riddick is also a bit of a.._.ebn el metanaka_-"

"The girl does not know your words," River interrupted.

"Sorry, I tend to fall back sometimes." Inara knew her words, sometimes Jayne could figure out the general feeling behind them. "He's a real bastard. But, I always had faith in him. Always, even when he lied and left us behind, I knew he was coming back."

"The Beast is her Simon," River smiled.

"I guess he is," Jack smiled back.

The calm was comfortable for both girls. The scent and warmth of tea, the quiet words exchanged and the feeling of familial love, it was safe and soft inside of Serenity.

"Reavers! Reavers incoming and headed straight for us!" Wash's panic shattered their peace. "We are in the air in one mintue!"

"Elif air ab dinich," Jack grumbled, swinging to her feet and dumping the kettle. She shoved it into the cabinet before locking them down. "River, you lock down the pantry, dong ma?"

River nodded, rising from her seat and doing as told. Jack faintly noticed how hard River was focusing on her task. Finding a way for herself to avoid panic. Speaking of panic, Jayne and the the captain and Zoe were still dirtside. Double checking everything, Jack grabbed River by the wrist and started dragging her to the cargo bay. She hadn't even realized what she'd done until River was helping her to get the bay doors open. Without Mal's code, it was a to person job, one on each side.

They were on and the doors were closed as Zoe ran to the comm unit on the other side of the bay. The ship moved beneath their feet and the door slammed shut, sealing tight as Mal and Zoe headed to the bridge. Jayne was double checking his gun at Jack's feet, shaking ever so slightly at the news of Reavers.

"River, go find your brother," Jack looked into River's eyes. "Find your brother and tell him exactly that he needs to lock down the infirmary. Lock down the infirmary."

River nodded, whispering the words to herself as she climbed the stairs.

"Lock down the infirmary. Lock down the infirmary. Lock down the infirmary."

Her whispers faded as she left the cargo bay.

Kyra knelt down beside Jayne and put a hand on her forearm. He paused in his weapons check and looked at her with bright eyes. He was still riding the rush of a gunfight. Gently she pulled him up, wordless as she took him to his bunk. They passed Inara on their way, her sister following them to as she headed for the bridge. Sparkling with gems and tears.

Jack paused at Jayne's door. "Get loaded. I got Emmaline and Ghost and I'm going to help Kaylee in the engine room.

"Gorram but ain't we got some luck," Jayne grinned bitterly.

"We do," Jack nodded. "Now go, you be a good merc and I'll be a good mech."

Jayne kicked open his door and Jack turned for the engine room. They had jobs to do.

And Jayne had his mouth on hers. Inara might have gasped, Jack wasn't sure. Kyra didn't care. Jayne's hands were hot on her back, calloused fingers teasing the edge of her shirt and his lips sent her brain far and away. Kyra's lids fluttered shut as she put and arm around her merc's neck. Her Jayne.

He pulled away from her, truly grinning before he slapped her on the rear and slid down into his bunk for ammunition.

"Oh," Kyra touched her lips as she tried pulling herself back to reality. Someone was laughing softly behind her as she went down to the engine room.

Book was down there already, doing as Kaylee instructed. The engineeer herself was propped up in a corner, bandaged all around her middle and trying to explain a two man job. A quick grin and a slight praise to god before Jack was helping out on the engine.

"Gonna need a little push here." Wash's voice was tight over the comm.

"Want us to go to full burn?" Kaylee asked, hitting the comm by her head.

"Not yet, but set it up," Wash replied.

Setting up the engine was a lot quicker when you knew what you were doing. Jack might not know a hell of a lot about the engine itself, but she knew how to prep Serenity's heart for a race thanks to long hours with Kaylee. Book joined Kaylee on the bench, praying aloud as the girls worked. Jack wondered if Jayne was alright. She wondered if River had gotten the message through and if Inara was smart enough to get her shuttle prepped. If even one member of their family could get off, Jack would be happy. Kaylee spoke over the comm as Jack managed the guage levels. They were ready.

"Not a moments boredom," Jack snorted as she leaned against the engine.

"I certainly hope your ship has some moments of calm," Book smiled.

Wash broke in once more. A crazy Ivan. What the hell was a crazy Ivan? But Kaylee was excited about the idea and had Jack opening up a panel and cutting hydrolics.

"I swear to god, Kaylee, which fucking hose is it?"

"The blue one," Kaylee nodded with wide eyes. "I color coded 'em in case somethin' like this happened. Now cut it."

Jack was grateful to Book handing her wrench. A quick twist had the engine making a decidedly unhealthy sound. Kaylee gave the okay to those on the bridge before grabbing onto the handrail behind her. Jack did much the same, holding tight to the wrench as she grabbed a bar by her head. Book grabbed onto the bar as well.

"Gotta drop the wrench and flip that lever," Kaylee nearly shouted.

Jack's hand was on the lever. It was wash who gave her the instruction to flip it. The engine began to scream louder, an intense glow coming from deep within as it whirled faster. IT was pretty. In a mechanical, about to die, sort of way. The ship rattled and for just a second the gravity in the ship shuddered and sent Jack's weight towards the ceiling. But she was readjusted in moments and somehow she knew they were okay.

"We're out of the woods." Mal had never sounded so relived in the five years Jack had known him.

Kaylee was petting Serenity's wall and Book was staring up at the ceiling with a look of elated shock. As for Jack, she let out a shaky laugh before she fell to the floor. Jesus and all his cousins, They'd never been so close to Reavers. Never. And they'd never had to run so gorram fast. She'd never had to run so fast.

"I'm going to go find Jayne," Jack mumbled, pausing long enough to reattach Serenity's hydraulic hose. "Or Inara. Whichever I see first."

"You do that," Kaylee laughed. "Tech girl like you ain't meant to be in an engine room."

"Can't argue with that," Jack climbed out. "Thanks for praying Book."

"Of course Miss Serra," Book smiled with a nod.

She found Jayne first. He was standing just outside the engine room, his gun in hand and a grin on his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing into his chest and simply enjoying life. Being alive with Jayne in her arms and the feeling of being in his. Kyra kissed his chest before tilting her head up to look at him. He was still smiling, eyes soft and focused solely on her.

"Come on merc," She started pulling him. "I want to know more about this kissing business."

"I reckon I can take that job," Jayne grinned, following her to his bunk.

~!~

I'm using a mix of Arabic, Persian, and Moroccan for Jack's phrasing. Things she either picked up from living in the Islamic sector or from living with Imam.

Kisich – pussy

nikomak – fuck your mother – spoke in reference to the mole

Kos khol – sex crazy

Kosefil – elephant c*nt

An damagh - booger

Zarba – shit

Kanith – fucker(s)

ebn el metanaka – son of a bitch

elif air ab dinich – a thousand dicks in your faith, fuck your god


	5. An Interlude

Jack and Jayne

An interlude

"You're beautiful, spunky as hell," Jayne was sitting next to Jack at the kitchen table. "You're a damn fine shot, your knife work is finer 'n frog hair and then someone, I think it was Riddick, said, I wish I had tagged along with you."

Jack took another bite of her cake, eyes closed as she enjoyed his cooking. Three whole days the cake batter had sat in the fridge. Havin' a steady girl weren't nearly as terrifyin' as he first reckoned it might be. Figured she might want to get all domestic on him, start talkin' about babies and getting' rid of his girls. Well, Jack weren't like other dames, and that was half the reason he fell for her. Well, bit more than half if he were honest with hisself. And he weren't nuthin' if not honest regardin' anything to do with Kyra 'Jack' Serra.

"That sounds unbelievably wonderful," Jack finally smiled as her hand went up to her bicep. Jayne loved her smile. You didn't get to see it too often, she usually smirked or worried, but every so often she'd smile. "And I think even after three days in storage, the cake was pretty damn good."

She was always real careful about him and his cooking. Not many girls were. Called him insultin' names and made faces he didn't care for.

"I reckon it might be better," Jayne finally said. "You keep rubbin' yer arm. Drivin' me gorram insane."

"Inara and I decided it was probably time to start being smart," she confessed. He saw the shift in her from spunky tech to quiet lady. "Apparently it's normal to bruise when you get..." Kyra was pinking, gesturing with her hand as she tried to avoid sayin' whatever it was.

"I still got no idea what yer sister has to do with you being bruised."

Kyra made a noise as she leaned back in her seat, worrying again. "We...well having a baby on board isn't in anyone's plans, so...we took some steps."

Jayne could feel his brows furrow and his mouth tighten as he tried figurin' out her clues. Weren't nice at all, doin' that to a fella, then goin' on about babies and not havin' em. Oh.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Jack nodded, taking her tea into her hands. "Fuck, this got serious really quick didn't it?"

"A bit," Jayne agreed, reaching over and pouring himself another cup of coffee. "But that's the difference 'tween us. You think ahead. I tend to be in the now. I reckon the two of us got all we need to make this work." He grinned at her, almost bashful, almost cheeky. "Might be able to make a decent human being one day."

Jack nodded, a small smile playing at her lips as she took another bite.

One day.


	6. The Train Job

Jack was officially twenty one.

Mal had decided to land on a rock to celebrate it.

The funny things about Jack's birthday, it was the day the Independants surrendered in Serenity Valley. So every year since joining the crew, Mal would get into a barfight with Zoe and Jack would end up hacking the security feeds to keep the fight from being recorded and their faces from being scanned. Every year, Mal would brush it off as being nothing at all, smiling slightly when Jack showed up to get them out of jail in her brown coat.

Not this year. This year Jack was sitting with her captain and Zoe and her boyfriend enjoying her first legal drink and her newly claimed weapons permit. Now she could carry Ghost on her anywhere they went. Emmaline too. For now she had carried Ghost and Emmaline into a saloon, and just like everything else in the Eastern sector it was covered in lanterns and Chinese writing. Some woman's tinny voice was carrying over the speakers and she could smell opium in the back rooms. It was cleaner than the few bars in the Islamic sector, speakeasy types, and homeier than the bars closer to the core.

"Khange khodah, that tastes like shit," Jack coughed as she set her glass down. The third shot since coming into the bar an hour ago. "I don't know what everyone was so excited about."

Zoe only smiled from her place and poured Jack another shot of something clear. "Gan Beh."

"Give me a fuckin' second," Jack made a face before grabbing the juice the bartender had brought her. A Happy Birthday gift he'd delivered with a knowing grin. She continued to cough while Mal stared at the checker board; Zoe was kicking his pi guh something fierce.

"It's your move." Jayne was looking at Mal from Jack's left. He might have been paying more attention to the game than the captain.

Mal glanced at his pieces, taking one little blue peg and moving it forward.

"That's a bold move," Zoe replied as she pushed Jack's shot at her. She poured herself one as well, lifting it to Jack.

"I like to live on the edge," Mal grinned, pouring himself and Jayne a shot as well.

"On the edge of crazy." Zoe pushed the glass at her again, this time Mal grinning at Jack as well. "Fucking gendeh jieh, pedar." Jack muttered before taking the shot in tandem with her crew. "Jesus on a cracker." That was actually sort of funny to imagine. Jesus sitting on a cracker. "Wasa crackers," Jack giggled out.

Zoe let out a whistle before moving her piece on the board and taking no less than seven of Mal's pieces.

"Nice one dumbass," Jayne scoffed as he poured salt on his hand.

"I think I'm getting drunk," Jack looked at the checker board.

"Most likely," Mal nodded. "I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge. Not an ideal location, bein' so close to crackers-" Jack let out a snorting laugh as Mal protested sitting next to Jesus. Mal glanced at her with a slight smile, as did most everyone else. "Thinkin' a place in the middle."

"Toast! Toast!" A man by the bar shouted.

"No," Jack snorted to her crew. "Crackers. And you can't sit in the middle of the cracker because that's where Jesus is sitting."

"My apologies to Mr. Jesus," Mal grinned at her. Zoe was almost bent double as she laughed and Jayne was kissing her hair, arm around her shoulders as his chest rumbled with laughter.

"Quiet! Shut up!" the man by the bar was roaring now. He was short, bald, and sweaty. He was also dirty and quite red in the face. The bar had quieted and now everyone was watching him. "I'm, uh, I got words..." Jayne put his mouth on Jack's when she tried to speak up. "I'm sayin' this is an a'spicious day."

Jayne pulled back from her and put a finger to his lips as his eyes darted over to Mal. Oh yeah, the second half of her birthday was about to start! Mal looked uncomfortable in his seat, looking at their bottle with a pursed mouth.

"We all know what day it is," the man continued.

"It's my girl's birthday," Jayne grinned against Jack's hair. He had a Jayne smell to him. It was a nice smell and her drunk mind was perfectly okay with being covered in Jayne Smell. Eau de Jayne.

"A glorious day," the man continued, "for all the proud members of the allied planets. Unification Day!" The man was getting excited now, pumping his fist in the air as his companions cheered him on. "The end of scumbag rebels, and the dawn of a new galaxy!"

Zoe pursed her lips and poured all of them another shot. "I think I like celebrating Jack's birthday more." Her voice was quiet and calm, almost a whisper, but it was strong and firm. "We're out."

"So we are," Mal pursed his lips at their empty bottle. "Reckon I'll get us another bottle."

"Please no," Jack begged, laying her head on the table.

The table was cool and rough against her cheek. It was steady and unlike the room and Zoe, it wasn't moving about. No, it was staying right where it was supposed to and stupid Jayne was grinning down at her, fingers running through her hair. That was nice.

"You're so nice Jayne," she mumbled at him. "My grizzly merc man."

"Ain't nice," Jayne shook his head; his cheeks had a bit of a glow to them. "I'm a mean ol' hun dhan, but I know how to treat my lady."

"Well I will be certain to tell her to fuck off," Jack grinned, pushing herself up slowly. "I'm going to need help back. Maybe. I'm floating a bit.

A crash sounded behind them causing Jack to turn towards the bar a bit quicker than she'd intended and subsequently tilt at a very dangerous angle on her chair. But Jayne had her arm and Zoe had Mal's back and the drunken toast man from before was unconscious on the floor.

"Jayne..." Mal was looking at the both of them with a question in his eyes.

"Hey, I didn't fight in no war," Jayne pulled Jack back into a sitting position. "Best of luck to ya though."

Mal was not pleased, but Jack was very much looking forward to joining the fight with her captain and teacher. A punch had been handed out and while Jack had been perfectly content before, now she was ready to fight. She could kick these mardar kharbeh asses any goddamn day. She was up on her feet the second a body came flying towards her and Jayne. And when someone swung at her, Jayne was on his feet as well, watching her six and breaking people's faces.

And then someone broke a chair over Jayne.

And then Jack was beating the man's face in; Jayne was stumbling to his feet and taking care of the man's friends.

And then Mal was thrown through a window.

Jayne grabbed Jack by her upper arm, dragging her off of the man and pulling her out of the bar as more men came towards them. Her big Merc drunken-tamer. He would not look good in a top hat. Definitely not. Jayne kept her behind him, pushing at the men with a bartstool as they back up to stand beside Mal and Zoe at the edge of a cliff.

"That was dumb," Jack scowled as she stood between her captain and Jayne. "You sir are off the cracker."

"Might be," Mal nodded, looking out over the crowd of bar patrons. Some, if not most were bloodied and all of them were pissed off. "There's just an acre of you fellas." He turned to look at Jack. "That's why we lost you know. Superior numbers."

"Thanks for the history lesson," Jack nodded as she swayed slightly. Only slightly.

The Toast Man came out of the bar, a large pistol in his hands while two goons followed behind him. The three of them pushed their way through the crowd, angry and mean, until the reached the front. Toast pointed his gun at the four of them, Mal in particular.

"Hey, them ain't kosherized rules," Jayne was watching the gun. His own gun was on his belt, latched tight and safety on. He wouldn't be able to fire in time.

"I'm thinkin' someone needs to put you dogs down," Toast sneered. "'specially that little bitch, getting' it into her head she needs to join up with scum like you."

"Ain't a gorram man alive insults my child and lives," Mal scowled at Toast. Jack's eyes widened and she could feel her lips part. "And even if she were smarter than her old man, I'm thinkin' we'll rise again."

Jack screwed her eyes shut as the dust went flying around them. The sound of home was whirring behind them and when Jack turned she could see Serenity hovering behind them. It was hovering backwards.

"Every man get back inside or we'll blow a new crater in this moon," Wash's voice came over the loudspeaker. The men did as told while Jack's drunken mind spun in a thousand different directions. The bay doors opened up as the men went back into the bar, Mal waving at the last of them as everyone climbed on board.

"Damn yokels can't even tell a transport ship ain't got no guns on it." Jayne was laughing riotously beside her.

"It was backwards," Jack settled on saying. "Backwards. Like toast."

"Blow a new crater in this moon," Jayne continued to laugh.

Okay, he could laugh. Jack needed to puke. Her mind was spinning from more than just Mal's proclamation and the downside of an adrenaline high. Much, much more.

~!~

Inara sat in her shuttle, quietly waiting for her sister to return. Kaylee had come in a few moments ago; she was now sitting by Inara's feet as the woman brushed her hair. Every time Inara thought she had a grasp on the way things worked out here, she was watching everything change. It was Kyra's birthday today, and while she had been planning a simple dinner with a gift, the crew had taken her out for her first legal drink. The Core drinking age was never truly enforced, everyone's sons and daughters were drinking by seventeen and the clubs they went to were often owned by a family member or friend. They need never concern themselves with losing their license.

Rim life. Were everything was more of a risk.

"Would you like me to put it up?" Inara asked the woman in front of her. Kaylee was as much a sister as Jack. When she'd been shot, Inara felt as though she were losing her sister all over again.

"No, that's okay." Kaylee shifted when the sound of the cargo doors echoed into Inara's shuttle.

"You have such lovely hair," Inara smiled. "I'm sure the doctor would agree."

Kaylee's eyes were bright as they looked up at Inara. "Who? Simon, no he's too, I mean I'm just..." Kaylee looked at a strand of her brilliant copper. "Do you think it looks better up?"

Someone retched in he cargo bay and Jayne was heard shouting.

"Why don't we experiment a bit?" Inara smiled. "Maybe we'll get crazy and wash your face."

"Or we could go point and laugh at our drunk sister," Kaylee grinned, leaning towards the door a bit. "Maybe poke her a bit. I think she mighta puked on Jayne's shoes..."

Inara sighed, setting the brush aside before she rose from her seat. "I forget how things out here work sometimes. In the Guild, when a sister reaches her majority, she is attended to by-"

"By some of the fancy boys from the boys guild, right?" Mal stepped into the shuttle, thumbs hooked on his belt as more retching sounds came from the bay. "Must be tough, takin' a day offa work because you're getting older. What is it, 35 they ask you to retire?"

Inara pursed her lips, glad she'd set the brush down, it might have ended up in Mal's skull otherwise.

"What did I say to you about barging into my shuttle?"

"That it's manly and impulsive?" Mal leaned forward just a bit as he spoke. Eyes twinkling with that damn laughter of his.

"Yes, precisely, only the exact phrase I used was 'Don't'." Inara could hear someone moaning down in the hold. Her sister. She needed to get down there and help, but Mal was being himself.

"Well, you're holding my mechanic in thrall," Mal leaned back, letting go of his belt in favor of crossing his arms. "And Kaylee? What in the hell is going on in the engine room? Monkeys? Do I have a hoard of space monkeys I gotta warn my crew about?"

"No. "Kaylee's head tilted to the side as she crossed her own arms. "I had to rewire the grav thrust because somebody won't replace that crappy compression coil and you stole the only person might be able to do it all simple-like."

The Captain released a breath through his nose, some of the steam fizzing away.

"Well get the place squared away. It's dangerous in there, and I ain't paying you to get your hair played at."

"Kuh ooh duh lao bao jurn," Kayle grumbled as she moved past Mal. "You took Jack out, but I gotta stay on ship and deal with crappy old parts."

"We work before we play," Mal leaned back and shouted at her. "When it's your birthday I'll let you out too." He stood up straight and began to watch Inara as she collected her tea service. Kyra would be needing ginger or something equally helpful tonight.

"You're servicing crew now?" Mal asked.

"In your lonely pathetic dreams." and hers. "What do you want, you've already fed my meimei a bottle of-"

"Jack only had four shots and a beer, which Jayne finished for her." Mal waved her off. "And Zoe's the one decided to take her out." Mal looked at her again. "We have a job."

It was slightly more assuring that Zoe had been the one to take her sister drinking. Zoe and Kyra had a relationship Inara might never have with her sister. Kyra had found her shishou in the warrior woman, just as Inara had found hers in the elegance and propriety of Madame Lefoux.

Jayne's presence during the event was a bit more assuring as well. Big and Dumb were two words to describe Jayne, but Possesive and Protective came into context whenever Kyra was involved.

"Congratulations," Inara settled on. "This job wouldn't be on a decently civilized planet where I could screen some respectable clients perhaps?"

"Respectable clients," Mal snorted, his lips twisting. "Seems a contradiction."

"Don't start," Inara cut him off. Kyra was making very unhappy noises and River's singsonging was floating up to them as well as Simon's fussing. She need to get down there, otherwise she'd stay up here and give in to Mal.

"There's uhm," Mal tilted his head back and forth. "We haven't gotten a location yet. We'll be landing on the Skyplex in a bit. Run by a fellow called Niska."

"Never heard of him." She really hadn't.

"Well I have. While we're there, you'll stay confined to the ship." The was something in his tone that made Inara want to nod her acquiescence and fall silent. That just wasn't the way they worked though. He pride was always pushing her to say something more.

"Is the petty criminal perchance ashamed to be riding with a companion?"

"Inara, this guy has a very unlovely rep," Mal's brows had knitted themselves tightly together. "He's got work for me fine," Mal exhaled. "Fact is, I'm keepin' Jack and Kaylee on board too. I'm not so sure any of ya'd be safe."

"Mal, if you're being a gentleman I may die of shock."

As predicted, her captain grunted before giving an odd bow and walking back to the door. He paused just over the threshold, turning to her with a grin.

"Have you got time to do my hair?"

"Out."

~!~

"Shut up," Jack moaned from the couch outside of the infirmary. After a half hour fight as to where she should be placed, Jayne's room or the infirmary, a compromise had been reached. Of course, that didn't stop Jayne, Inara, and Simon from arguing back and forth over what to do with her after that. Simon wanted to give her some goh seh and Inara wanted to give her ginger -her stomach protested the very thought of that- and Jayne was trying to make both of the go away.

A soft shimmering sounded.

"Jieh needs the river."

Jack pried open her eyes to see River standing in front of her with a glass of water and two white pills. River's anklet had been a stroke of genius in Jack's opinion, tiny coins shimmered and tinkled against each other when she walked. Most times the anklet worked, but if River wanted to be sneaky, she could walk without the damn things making a single noise.

"Willow bark derivative."

Whatever. Jack took the offered pills, groaning with the effort it took simply to move, and moved them into her mouth. Anyone who has ever been hungover would agree that something so simple is indeed a days work; Jack suddenly sympathized with Jayne for all the days he spent recovering after New Glasgow. She didn't even try for the glass, instead opening her mouth and making a noise.

River made a noise as well, a giggle really, before popping a straw into the glass and putting it to Jack's lips.

"The girl with a boys name needs to rest. The girl will help."

Jack didn't even question what River meant. She only heard the others fall silent and leave. Thank heaven for River. Really and Truly. It seemed offering her tea that first day, and giving her something to do, had created a bond between them. Jack was fearless in the way she acted around River Tam. She didn't use kid gloves and if River was having a bad day, Jack gave her something easy to do.

It was fun, hanging out with someone closer to her own age. A four year gap, true, but River was someone Jack had liked instantly. They just sort of clicked. Took care of each other like crew was supposed to.

Sometimes, Simon would come to Jack, asking her if she'd seen River or if she wouldn't mind calming River down so he could drug her up. Jack never had been, and never would be, a snitch. Nor would she help someone turn hype when all they needed was to be left the hell alone for half a minute.

Sha gwa an damagh.

"The soft one has come out."

Kyra made a humming noise. River must have returned after sending everyone away.

"The soft one must drink. This is known" A straw poked Jack in the lips. Over and over until River started trying to poke it up Jack's nose.

"Quit it," Jack grumbled, only half surprised when the straw was in her mouth. A sip. "Where's Kaylee?"

"Our copper is attending to mother's nerves to soothe our captain daddy."

Jack made a humming noise again, begrudgingly opening her mouth as River poked at her mouth with the straw.

~!~

"Captain Daddy called you his."

Jack was siting at the kitchen table now, drinking ginger tea across from Inara as she shook of the rest of her two day hangover. Kaylee was boiling coffee at the stove and River, River was swaying in front of the pantry. The rest of the crew, minus Wash, was dealing with Niska on the Skyplex. Simon was looking for River, he'd come through ten minutes ago while the youngest girl hid under the table. For once, the elder girls hadn't given River's hiding spot away.

Inara raised a brow at Jack. "Mal called you his?"

Jack took a moment to think. She'd been fairly hungover the last 33 hours, drunk or hungover, according to Simon being hungover was just the tail end of being drunk. Whatever. She could remember being shocked, and she could remember Toast pointing a gun on her. And then Mal's words.

"He did, didn't he?"

"What exactly did Mal call you?" Inara asked, setting her cup down. As much as ginger tea burned Jack's throat, it was doing wonders for her stomach.

"He called me his child."

"Shi mah?" Kaylee was sitting on Jack's right before she could blink. "Wow, ya know, that makes a bit of sense, you been on this boat forever and a day, only person he don't shout at when you sass him."

"Only because I sass him while I'm doing what he told me to do." His child. Jack might need to wave Imam before the day was up.

"It actually does make some sense," Inara sighed. "So far as father's go...he's better than the one we had."

Jack looked slowly up at her sister. She'd never met either of their parents and Inara never talked about them. From what she did say though, Jack could figure out their father had been a very bad man. Worse than Chillingsworth and Johns and even the Golls who'd tried to pick Jack and Kaylee up a few years back.

"Not so bad far as captain's go either," Kaylee grinned. "Even if he is a tyrant."

"A terrible tyrant," Inara smiled back. Her face sobered. "What do you think this deal is about?"

"Hooting," River hummed as she continued to sway around the kitchen. "Whistling whispers. They do not tell the girls, but she hears. Hears and hands out."

Inara and Kaylee both turned to Jack as the hungover tech tried to figure out hooting and whistling. "River says...what sort of thing whistles?" Jack asked herself.

"Kettles," Kaylee hummed as her own kettle did just that. "Men I suppose."

"Mal would never agree to slaving. Or a hit job." Inara's response had a final tone to it. "Trains maybe?" Inara put powdered something into Jack's cup before adding more ginger tea. River's hoot-hoot seemed to tell Inara she was correct.

"I like trains," Kaylee chirped, rejoining them at the table. "Meet all sortsa interestin' people, and new people always got stories."

Jack didn't like trains so much. Too crowded for her. They jostled too much too, they weren't nearly as steady and stable as a ship. "Serenity's better." Jack sipped at her tea.

"Mother is better," River hummed. The anklet shimmered when she made her way to sit by them. "Safe. Her nerves are straining."

"Wires are getting a bit too hot," Jack took another drink. "Need to get a compression coil."

"Well no duh," Kaylee snorted into her coffee.

The airlock door could be heard all the way in the mess, nearly slamming open as the fighters returned. The sound of Mal's voice was sharp and biting as it echoed up from the bay. Something had gone a way they hadn't expected. Not badly, but certainly not good either. Jayne's heavy footsteps sounded as well, thunk-tunk up the stairs as he ducked into the mess a few seconds later. There were many emotions and thoughts flitting across his face as he came over to Jack, standing next to her with eyes almost begging to go and talk with him.

Downing the rest of her tea, Jack rose from her seat and led Jayne to his bunk.

River gave her a worried glance; it was her new mission to water Jack like a flower.

"Why don't you help Kaylee-jieh keep Serenity flying?" Jack suggested before walking out of the mess. Kaylee's bright voice chirped in agreement, suggesting all sorts of things for River to do.

They passed Simon on their way to Jayne's bunk.

"Have you seen-"

"Not a snitch," Jack cut him off, kicking Jayne's hatch open.

She climbed down and Simon's flustered noises were left behind as the scent of her man and his realm greeted her. Jayne came down a few moments later after telling the pretty boy that River is being good and unlike Simon, useful. He slammed the door of his bunk closed before Simon can reply. Jack found herself in his arms immediately after, nose buried into her hair as he held her close. He hadn't even said hello when he came back on board.

"Mal make a bad deal?" Jayne was turning them, sitting on the edge of his bed while she continued to stand. He was still holding onto her waist, this time nuzzling her stomach instead of her hair.

"Deal's good, the man we're dealing with...makes your convict look like a damn kitten." His whiskers were brushing against the skin of her stomach, making the muscles twitch as a smile tried to break out. "He skinned his own gorram nephew alive."

The laughter was gone and Jack's blood ran cold.

"Jayne...jesus christ," Kyra pulled his face up to look at her. It was a bit close to his reaver face. "Then we get this done. We do the job, we leave well enough alone."

"Man like Niska ain't gonna just let us go," Jayne leaned his head against her stomach once more.

"Then we take Niska out first."

"I miss you, But I haven't met you yet."

Simon looked up at his sister, eyes full of concern. She was singing on her bed, swaying slightly to a song only she could hear. She paused in her swaying, looking Simon in the eyes with slight confusion.

"How can I miss him, if I never met him?"

"Who?" Simon's eyes had widened slightly as he listened to his sister's question. Before River could give him the look, he spoke again. "Although if you haven't met him I suppose you wouldn't know his name."

River tilted her head before nodding. "Grandmother likes him."

"Can't be real then," Simon grinned at his sister. "Grandmother doesn't like anyone except for you."

River paused before smiling at her brother. "She liked you enough not to smother you in your sleep."

Simon blinked, opening his mouth before closing it once more. Her frowned ever so slightly, trying not to smile through it. "I don't know how I should feel about that..."

"Grateful," River nodded before she started swaying once more. It was faster this time, almost bouncy as she sat on the couch outside of the infirmary. She started humming a perky tune as well, staring up at the ceiling and leaving Simon to research her various conditions.

The Tams continued to sit in silence.

"Where's Jack?" Simon asked eventually. Jack had been out of sight for quite some time; she'd become a regular fixture these days, leaving Simon with two sisters who thought he was an idiot.

River only giggled at him.

~!~

Serenity's crew sat gathered around the dining dining table as Mal went over his latest plan. The last three had been shot down, subversively of course, by Jack and Kaylee. Minor technical details and the laws of physics Mal hadn't taken into account. Like the fact that sending Jack to jump onto the train wouldn't work because she was A) nowhere near heavy enough to land on said train and B) making sure the trains scanners weren't picking anyone's faces up. Likewise, The could not just swoop in and take the goods as he'd been suggesting in his second plan.

"You wanna get this shit done right you're going to need someone on the train," Jack told them as she started researching their job.

Jayne had been edgy since Niska's three days ago, insisting that they less they knew and the less they asked questions, the better off they'd be. Probably true, but Jack had lived with Riddick and Imam for nearly four months in a tiny shuttle, four years with Imam and his wife, and she'd known Mal for over seven years. Those three men had taught her to learn everything about any situation she was in.

It was the key to surviving out here in the black.

"Might be best anyways," Mal agreed. "Need someone inside riggin' up wires and opening up our doors." He looked across his crew. "I'm going to ride the train, Jack, you keep the feeds clear and friendly. Wash and Kaylee, keep our girl flying right." He looked at his first mate and Jayne, trying to figure out which one he should bring with him. It wasn't too hard to figure out, they needed someone heavy to catch jump down and Mal needed someone who wouldn't cause a scene. "Zoe's goin' on board with me, and Jayne, you get to wrangle a locomotive."

"Aw, Gorramit Mal," Jayne groaned, hanging his head back and scrubbing at it with one hand.

"Relax, I ain't gonna let you fall and die," Kaylee grinned from her end of the table.

"Ain't worried about fallin'," Jayne shook his head. "Don't wanna get all ground up or smashed into little bits."

"Kaylee isn't going to let you get crushed," Jack glanced away from the cortex screen. "If she does I'll...go in and do...stuff. Or something, I'm trying to make sure these stupid cards work right."

Mal nodded as his girls set about to plannin' and doin' their jobs. Jack was double checkin' and triple checkin' and getting into the train security feeds and all sorts of things he didn't bother trying to understand. Zoe knew her job, Wash knew his, Jayne was gripin, but her knew his as well.

"We got them cards squared away?" He asked Jack.

"Just a sec, Mr. U is flappin' his jaw about a job he wants us to do once we're done." Jack's fingers flew across her keyboard and Mal settled himself with glowering at Jayne for touching his kin. Jack was his in all but blood and name, name part might change soon enough, god and Inara willing. Jayne wasn't near good enough for her.

"All done," Jack hit the final key. "Okay, Mr. U just bumped our pay up to a quarter mil if we get him his package before the thirtieth."

Mal raised his brows in surprise. His girl's little nerd friend was a weird one, but he'd proven invaluble and if he had a job, well..."Tell him we'll get on it soon as we finish up."

"Yes sir, cap'n dad," Jack grinned.

Inara and God willing.

~!~

Book sat in his room, quietly reading his bible. Serenity and her crew were something he'd never quite known before. Too many of them had seen things, great, terrible things that he would never wish upon people so young. Veterans from the losing side of a war, a mercenary who willingly tarnished his soul so his family might remain pure. There was a companion and her sister, both very lovely, but the younger had gone through things the older might never understand or know about.

Even the perky mechanic and the laughing pilot had secrets they might never share.

It was the Tams who worried him most. His duty as a shepherd was to offer sanctuary, refuge, to guide those lost in the darkness. River was lost in her own mind, her brother Simon was looking for a child who may have never existed at all. It was troublesome as well, to think that the Alliance would do something so terrible, to hide behind a school and steal the very souls of children, turning them from joyful beings into terrible killing machines.

A soft rap sounded on the frame of his door, revealing one of the many people he now saw as his flock.

"Shepherd." Inara smiled as she entered his quarters, shimmering in sequins and silks. She was such a contrast to her younger sister, and so very similar.

"Good day." Book gesutred to one of the seeats in his quarters, happy to speak with someone not involved in crime. He dind't look down on the crew, not at all, but they tended to be very tight lipped about their job. "So, how do you think it's going?"

He still wanted to know what was going on.

"The caper?" Inara asked. "Mal knows what he's doing."

She looked tired when she spoke of Mal. He'd felt the energy between them since coming on board. It was sad; a woman trained to give other's love and affection had no idea how to ask for it herself.

"How long have you known the captain?" Book finally asked.

"I've been on the ship almost seven and a half years, my sister has been on a bit less, and strangely a bit more." Inara smiled a sad smile. "Kyra stayed on board whenever I went out to see a client."

"I'm surprised a respectable Companion would sail with this crew, why not place Miss Kyra in a school? Or purchase a manse somewhere?"

"It's not always this kind of work," Inara assured him. "They take the jobs they can get, legitimate or no, and my sister couldn't be pried away from this ship by god himself. This was her world before I found her again, I keep having to remind myself of that."

"I wish I could help," Book settled on saying. This was a family ship, even if no one had truly realized it. It made him feel like the old man in the corner, twiddling his thumbs as the younger folks did things of value. "I mean, I don't want to, well, help help, not with the thievery, but...I feel awfully useless."

Inara smiled, understanding his words exactly. "You could always pray they make it back safely."

Book chuckled. "I don't think the captain would much like me praying for him."

"Don't tell him," Inara shrugged. "I never do."

That was an interesting concept, and not entirely new to the faith. Secret prayer. Secret worship. Secrets all over. Jayne and Jack would appreciate it no doubt. Kaylee as well. Probably even Zoe. Yes, a secret prayer session was in order.

~!~

Jack was down in the bay, helping Kaylee to set up the pulley system her boyfriend would soon be hooked up to. Jack stood up straight, blinking at the air as she considered her thoguhts. She'd enver call Jayne her boyfreind before. The term seemed off somehow. It didn't fit them. It seemed, young. Juvenile somehow. Innocent and clean and entirely not them.

"Oh!" Kaylee perked up. "Crime."

Sometime in between laying the cables out and now, Simon had walked up and started talking to Kaylee. A quick glance told Jack that her new meimei was standing up on the catwalk, watching them with interest. A soft smile from both girls and Jack was back to work.

"Crime? Good." Simon looked confused. "Okay, crime."

"Ain't scared of breaking the law are you?" Jack grinned. It was so much fun to tease Simon. So much fun. "A certified terrorist is scared of theft."

"I'm not..." Simon spluttered out when Jack grinned up at him.

"It's a train heist," Kaylee explained, taking the doctor's attention. "See, we fly over the train car."

The rest of Kaylee's explanation was lost to Jack's ears as she continued checking and double checking Jayne's line. She did snort when Kaylee called Mal a Genius, but River was making strange gestures and that was infinately more interesting than Kaylee and Simon. Even more so when River started following Jayne down the stairs, asking him questions in a soft voice and singing her songs. Convicts with perfect diction or something of the sort.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Simon finally asked.

"Stayin' the hell ot of everyone's way might do the trick," Jayne scowled as he looked at what cables on the cargo bay floor.

"There's no call to be snappy," Kaylee scowled.

"Your man isn't about to jump onto a movin' train though," Jack pointed out as she helped Jayne into his harness. He didn't need the help, but it was an excuse to touch one another without being shot or scowled at.

"Captai ain't around," Jayne continued. "I'm in charge."

"Since when?" Kaylee snorted.

"Sometime after I die," Jack answered as she tried to tighten his gear. "Jayne, relax, please? Acting captain's orders."

Yes, Jack was in charge when the adults were gone.

"Yeah well, just 'cause Mal says he's medic don't make him crew."

Jayne shifted until Jack threw her hands up in defeat. He was just being difficult right now and she needed to talk to Simon anyways. Leaving Jayne to Kaylee, she took Simon by the elbow and led him away from the two rim born crew members.

"You figure out what's up with Riv?" Jack crossed her arms, hugging herself almost.

"I think she has Post traumatic stress disorder."

"You think? You didn't run tests? Check her hormone levels? Her neuro-chem levels?" Jack was moving her head as she asked, finally scowling at the expression Simon was giving her. "You think because I live out here I'm clueless about medicine?"

"I, well I never really thoguht, I guess knowing you were Inara's sister and realizing it were two different things."

"Yeah," Jack nodded slowly. "But you didn't answer my question. What do the tests say."

"I haven't run them yet."

Jack could have punched him for that. He was medicating her, without even checking to see what was chemically wrong with River. "I swear to od Simon...you're a surgeon. Not a neuro-specialist. You can't make judgments regarding her mind when you're trained to reattach limbs."

"She's my sister," Simon argued.

"And you're still just a surgeon." Jack didn't raise her voice like Simon had. First rule of a fight, dont' lose your temper. "I lived with a girl like River growing up. Almost exactly like her, cept Jeanie had a propensity for catchign things on fire."

"What did she have?"

"She Had a whole brain at one point in time. But her dad jammed a pole through her head because Jeanie's mom didn't make dinner right." Jack glanced over at River, smiling slightly as she started humming and Jayne and Kaylee. "Just, run a few chem tests. Make sure there's a wall before you start throwing things at it."

Simon pursed his mouth, looking down at his hands with a slightly lost look. "Thank you Kyra. I mean it. Every time I think I have a grasp on things...thank you."

"Don't thank me," Jack shook her head. "Just...stay out of the way? Jayne was right in that respect." Her man hollered about something. "Don't mind him either. He's just...testing you. Trying to make sure nothing goes south."

"Why, how could I send something south?"

Jack raised her brow at his joke, hopefully it was a joke, before walking over to a control panel and lowering a rope for Jayne to hook up to. Kaylee was still harping on him about being nice, hiding her worries like a mother as she tied Jayne off. A soft shimmer sounded behind Jack.

"The bear is upset, does not wish to leave his cave. Spring has not yet come."

"Our spring isn't going to come for a while," Jack glanced over at River. "Groundhogs keep popping up."

River nodded in satisfaction, watching as Jack opened the doors. The train was nearly still, wibbling and wobbling slightly as Wash kept them at a steady pace. The only sign they were moving at all was the blur of red-brown dirt on either side of the train. Jayne pulled down his goggles, squared and wide and so different, before jumping.

"Breath Jieh," River's hand touched her arm. "Straining the respiratory system will not insure the return of your chosen mate."

"No," Jack breathed out, forcing her hands to unclench from the panel." Kinda wishin' I could have done it though. Looks like fun."

River nodded in agreement as they left the panel and walked over to the open hatch. Kaylee was still in Mommy Mode, chewing her lip and hemming. A part of the train opened up, giving Jayne a big black hole to drop through.

"You reckon this rope gonna be strong enough?" Kaylee worried.

"Got it from Mr. U," Jack nodded, never taking her eyes from the hole that swallowed Jayne. "Supposedly it has Kevlar and micro mono-filament steel running through out. Why we never cut it even though Mal keeps trying."

"Oh, oh, so he'll be okay."

"The rope will be," Jack shrugged, finally getting her emotions under control. This was a job. Just like any other. Only difference was her relation with one of the crew. A relation that would get in the way if she didn't learn to compartmentalize it. It was work time.

"Fifteen seconds." Mal's voice echoed through the ship.

No sooner had Mal spoke, a gunshot went off down below.

"Go! Go now!"

Jack ran back to the panel, lifting the rope back up and hopefully someone still living. The doors shut as soon as Jayne and the cargo entered the bay fully. The was red pooling on Jayne's pants, but this gou se needed to be dropped or some bad flying would happen.

"Where's the others?" Kaylee asked.

"They shot my Gorram leg," Jayne grunted, ignoring Kaylee's question.

"Jayne, are thy still on the train? Are they gonna be okay?"

"Kaylee, go help Simon prep the infirmary," Jack barked out. "I'm thinking they're still on board fi thy aren't with us. Now go."

Kaylee nodded, rushing out of the room and past River, to let Simon deal with her anxiety.

"You dumb merc," Jack scowled, crouching down to help him stand. "Going and getting shot."

"Werent' like a plan this shit," Jayne grunted, standing. Even though he was leaning on her, she knew he was keeping most of his weight off.

"Yeah, well, be ncie to the medic, I don't need to wake up and hear you mysteriously died on the operating table."

"Core bred..." Jayne grinned as they climbed the stairs.

Jayne was obviously done playing strong man when Simon started operating on him. He was sweating with the pain of his gunshot, and judging by the spray on his skin, Jack figured the bullet had either fractured before hitting, or the Alliance had new kind of ammunition.

Kaylee was leaning against the door watching as Simon worked, while Jack stood over Jayne's leg, hovering nearly as she studied Simon's methods. He was clean, efficient, a helluva lot better than Riddick was at patching people up. Then again, Riddick was trained to kill, Simon was trained to heal.

"Thinkin' bout yer guh-guh again?" Jayne asked. His knuckles were white as simon tried to pull the bullet out. It was deep.

"A bit," Jack nodded. "He'd suggest leaving the bullet in though."

"I didn't know you had a brother,"Simon asked, still working. "Is he working?"

"Naw, girl's brother is hidin' out somewheres, trying not to lose his head o'er his bounty." Jayne flinched once more before her continued. "If he were on ship I'd be dead fer even lookin' at his sister longer'n a second."

Wash walked in a moment later, cold with worry and clenched jaw.

"You get to drop off already?" Jack asked. "Can you give him something for the pain already?"

"I...sorry," Simon blushed, moving to grab a syringe.

"I don't need-"

"I don't give a shit," Jack cut him off. "Take it from the doctor or I'll stab you myself."

Jayne fell silent as Simon hurridly injected the gunman with a pain killer. Both remained quiet, allowing Jack to speak with Wash.

"If we aren't at the rendezvous site where are we?" Jack asked.

"Got us hidden away in a canyon north of the tracks," Wash answered tightly. Wash was an example of why Jack sought to compartmentalize her feelings on a job. He let them get in the way. "Ain't movin' the ship until we got our crew back."

"Wash," Jack paused in her response. "I understand. I really do. But Niska's men, they aren't the kind of person to wait patiently."

"I hope they brought a magazine then," Wash shrugged. He was very obviously not budging on this subject. "I'm not moving this ship without my wife on board."

Jack nodded. She was only acting captain; she'd much rather have Mal back and arguing with Wash. She could see Book peering in through one of the infirmary windows. River as well, though the younger girl had a glass of water in her hand, watching the scene like one might watch animals in the zoo. River smiled, nodding.

Apparently that was exactly how she saw it.

"Alright, we keep waiting, I'll hook us up to the local smokees, see if I can't figure out what's going on."

"Shouldn't we be avoiding the authorities?" Simon piped up, he was having a much easier time extracting the metal now that Jayne's muscles were relaxed and the gunman was grinning stupidly. "I mean, we're sitting here with stolen Alliance goods, they'll be looking for someone surely."

"If I hook us up now, I'll hear them days before they even see us." Jack scratched Jayne's scalp before walking to the door. "I'll see whats going on, get Mal and Zoe out and we'll deliver the goods to Niska before-"

"Adelai Niska?" Book was in the doorway of the infirmary. He carried a look Jack had seen only too many times on Imam.

"How's a shepherd know a name like that?" Jayne asked, still grinning. Despite his tone, he had almost everyone in the room smiling.

"Be surprised what these holy types know," Jack answered. "Mind sharing your thoughts?"

Book nodded, amused and curious.

"As I've heard it, he made a deal with the captain. If the captain isn't there to finish the deal in person, if Niska finds out he's being held and may speak up as to who hired him..."

"We're better off being late," Jack nodded, understanding. "Cap'n Dad's no snitch, but Niska's obviously dealt with some...Alright. Shepherd, you wanna keep these two from killing each other while I go check the sound?"

"Of course Miss Serra."

Jack left the infirmary, pausing beside River and waiting for her to join or not. The girl had a distant look in her eyes right now, mouth moving, whispering in rhyme.

"Wanna help me hide?" Jack asked softly. She didn't touch River, or move too suddenly.

"Won't stop searching. Won't ever stop, just keep coming and coming, hide and seek is unbalanced. Wont' stop until they get back what you took." River's hands were clenched in a macabre position. "Two by two, hands of blue, two by two, hands of blue."

"Well we're a few more than two," Jack smiled. "And you're talking to a crew with a talent for hiding." River looked at her, distant eyes moving closer until a smile was coaxed out. "Now come on, Gotta teach you how to cover our tracks."

It was easy enough, hacking intot he Paradiso comm system. The hard part was listening to just what they'd stolen and the people who needed it. Jack listened to the various radios, zeroing in on the one reflecting Mal and Zoe's voices the strongest. Looking at her cortex screen she noticed a second radio, much closer, btu turned down. Easy enough to fix, just flip the signal inside.

"The girl with a boys name is thinking in circles," River pouted. "The girl does not understand. The simplicity of it is at odds with the complexity of the actions."

"Don't need to understand," Jack grinned. "Just accept it the way it is. Like art." And have faith that Jack wouldn't let those huen dahn Alliance anywhere near River.

River nodded, listening in as Jack patched the audio through Serenity's own comm system. Mal and Zoe were sure enough in the clink, giving some story about being married -and wasn't it a good thing Wash wasn't around to hear that- and looking for work. Both girls continued listening, Jack making mental notes, cutting out the unnessicary information and simplifying the rescue mission.

And then Joey Bloggs had to eat his own gun.

"Cheong bao ho tze huen dahn."

Jack blinked at River's colorful phrasing.

"You learn that from Jayne or me?" She had to ask.

"The dowager passes on, snipping and adding, always watching," River waved it off.

"Someone's been teching you and they aren't even on ship?" Jack asked, turning down the radio. She got what she needed to know and now it was time to go tell the rest of the crew. "Riv...you know what, I'm concerned, but you know what you know, and if you trust them, I won't complain too much."

"Jieh jieh is wise, and kind."

River followed Jack out of the cockpit, both girls running into the crew once they hit the mess. Kaylee and Wash were sitting quietly, drinking coffee as they tried to calm their nerves. Jayne entered a few moments later, Simon griping behind him and insisting he stay off of his leg.

"Been on my leg in worse situations," Jayne scowled. "Whats goin' on girl?"

"Mal and Zoe are in the clink, their story is falling apart fast." Jack felt a lightbulb go off as her sister and the reverand walked in.

"We can't just leave 'em there!" Kaylee shouted. Wash might have shouted as well, but he'd caught the gleam in Jack's eyes.

"You really think Mal would stay in jail iffin' he knew Jackie was drivin' this boat round?"

"You don't drive a ship," Wash scoffed. "Besides, I'm still a pilot."

"And Jack'd let you o whatever the hell you wanted," Jayne pointed out.

Wash only grinned.

"We aren't letting them stay locked up," Jack answered everyone's fears. "We're going in and getting them."

"how?" Book asked. "We can't just waltz in and pull them out of jail."

"No," Inara pursed her lips, finally admitting to the look Jack was giving her. "We can't, but someone respectable enough might be able to."

Jack adjusted her dress as Inara set the shuttle down. Book had offered to come along, preaching as to the wrath of god in order to reclaim his sinful daughter, but that was a bti over the top, even for the crew of Serenity. Next time maybe.

Jack opened the door fo the shuttle, opening the parasol once she stepped out that her sister might walk in shade. Assistant face was on. No emotion, datebook held against her chest as a pair of false glasses rested low on her nose. Inara was dressed in on of her more subdued gowns of firey crimson, hair pulled back and cloak pinned to her shoulders.

"I believe our suspects are being held in the loacal jail, Miss Serra."

Inara had a look on her face, one of borderline glee and utmost annoyance.

The crowd around the jail cleared for them like the red sea, arguments and discussions stopped mid word and children gaping with wide eyes and mouths. Sitting there, in front of the sheriff's desk, sat the captain and the first mate, one looking mighty confused, while the other looked wary. Inara's pace was fast; Jack knew she was excited about something.

"What the hell?" Mal stood, brows knitting together.

Even Jack had to wince when the heard his nose crunch.

"Don't you dare speak to me." Inara's voice was cold, but there was satisfaction in her eyes. It all made sense now. "Sheriff, I want this man bound by law, assuming he hasn't been already."

Jack nearly lost her face; it was always fun to see a cop squirm.

"No one's been bound, not yet." The sherif was blushing five different shades of pink, nearly stuttering as he spoke to Inara.

"Thank god you stopped them," Inara smiled at the sheriff, sad and slightly annoyed, all the emotions she'd ever felt for Mal these past years. "Did you really think you could access my accounts and Iw ouldn't notice?" Inara turned a scolding look onto Zoe. "And Zoe, what would your husband say if he knew you were here?"

"I...I was weak." Zoe hung her head in shame, though whether it had to do with being caught and rescued, or she was just that good of an actress, Jack would never know.

"So, I take it they ain't newlyweds?"

Cops were just so smart. Jack adjusted the tablet in her hand, leaning over to whisper in Inara's ear. They had five minutes left before they needed to be at Niska's drop off point.

"Hardly," Inara scoffed. "Malcolm's my indentured man. With...How long does he have left?"

"Three years miss," Jack supplied, emotionless.

"Hm, well I suppose we'll have to add on another six months after this little adventure." Inara glanced away at the gathered crowd. "Make a note of it."

"You'll have to pardon them," The sheriff blushed. "Don't think a body on this rock seen a registered companion."

"I do apologize for my manner," Inara smiled. Her hundred watt, hooking a client smile. It could melt almost any man and some women.

"Oh, not a bit Miss Serra. Perfectly understandable." The sheriff was nearly falling over himself.

"Kyra, contact the ship." Jack really had to keep a straight face right now; Inara was having way too much fun. "Do you need them very much longer? Did I call my ship too soon?"

"Looks to me like we're done here." The lawman shook his head, grinning slightly. "I uh, we had some trouble, unrelated of course. His story had a bti of an odor to it."

"It's not the only thing about him that does. Thank you, very much sheriff." Inara turned and began walking out of the station.

"Come along," Jack told Mal and Zoe. "Miss Serra is quite vexed with you both."

"Best not keep her waitin' then," Mal nodded.. A trickle of blood was dried on his lip and chin, his handkerchief stemming most of the flow. "Don't fancy another hit from the boss lady."

The flight back to Serenity was quick, mostly quiet as two of the crew tried to figure out what just happened.

"I take it you know what we stole," Jack finally spoke up. Her captain nodded. "I'd just like to say, I think we should blow up Niska's space station after we return the goods to the townsfolk."

"Blow it up?" Mal asked, crooking an eyebrow. His voice was muffled under his handkerchief, his L's disappearing as the last two words blurred together.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "I can set up a relay, make his engine's overheat and send the whole thing into orbit."

"No." Mal's eyebrow never fell. "Ain't blowin' nobody up Jackie. Done more killin' a girl your age should, and all killin' aught to be done in person. Coward's way, taking Niska and his men out like that."

Jack nodded at his words. Riddick had told her something similar when she could coax the information out of him. Jayne had taught her to shoot and Mal took her on jobs every so often, but she hadn't actually killed anyone since Antonia back on the Kublai Khan. Kneecaps and shoulders were her targets.

She was actually rather happy about that.

"Just a thought," Jack nodded, leaning back on the bed she shared with her sister. Over a month she'd been with Jayne, almost seven years of getting to know him, and they still slept in seperate bunks.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked for a bigger bunk yet." Jack looked at Zoe. The first time she'd spoken since the jail. "You and Jayne-"

"Ai Ya!" Mal cried, "Father don't want to hear none of that about his girl."

~!~

"How'd it go?" Kaylee asked, catching up to the captain.

"Inara hit me," Mal pointed at his swollen nose. It was slightly crooked, but if Simon's pursed lips were any judge, it would be back to normal very soon. "She broke my nose."

"Didja deserve it?" Jayne grinned from the catwalk.

"Airlock Jayne, now get your gorram pi guh down here and help move the cargo."

Jayne caught Jack's eye, knowing what was going on and grumbling as he followed orders. Not a single word was genuine, except maybe the complaint of moving it back and forth and the lack of funding, but her merc put on a decent enough show.

"Captain," Wash ducked his head in. "I've got the engine running, if we leave now we should make it in time."

"We're not going." Mal lifted one of the containers.

"Not?" Wash's copper brows furrowed. "What? Not...why?"

"We're takin' the cargo back," Jack answered for them. "People on that rock need it way more than a man like Niska does."

"But, won't this put him in more or less a killing mood?" Wash asked, looking down at the crew as they loaded up the mule.

"My shuttle's faster," Inara spoke up, having finally stepped out. Her knuckles were red; her eyes as well.

It made Jack's heart hurt to see her sister and the captain interacting. Seven years of dancing around each other, longer actually, Inara had been on the ship almost three months before she came on board. It made Kyra even sadder when she heard Mal's response.

"You already risked enough flying in there once." Mal was giving Inara a look, loaded with too many questions and all the wrong answers. "And...I don't wanna get slapped around no more." Mal slid the crate onto the mule. "Far as Niska goes, We'll just have to explain to him the job went south when we return the money."

"You wanna explain, now's your chance." Wash pointed to the loading bay doors.

Jack could see quite a few men coming out of the shadows, led by a man with too many tattoo's and knives. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes, sparking as he glanced over the many people in the bay. Jack could feel his gaze when it settled on her. Worse than anything she'd felt on the kublai Khan, worse than the hidden leers she'd gotten from Johns, before and after he found out she was a girl.

"Likes shiny things," River whispered from behind Jack. "Pecking away at them, devouring the carrion left by his master." River's speech paused as Mal and the man started conversing. "I'm hiding behind you."

"Alright," Jack nodded.

"The girl brought you the Ghost." Jack felt cold steel press against her fingers. "Ghosts and crows and not a beast in sight." There was a sigh. "The girl is tired of waiting."

"Yeah well," Jack's answer was cut off as gunshots rang through the bay. She couldn't help but push River down, ducking herself as she fired at Niska's men.

"Khara!" Jack shouted when one of the gunman started targeting her and River. "Kos omak!"

A bullet had very nearly hither in the neck, instead grazing the top of her shoulder. The man targeting them wasn't a great shot, but he was good enough to hit and he was getting lucky.

A shot rang through the bay, louder than the rest, before a man's screams followed suit. Jack poked her head out. The man, Niska's Crow, was on the ground, kneecap shattered. Thick carmine was pouring out onto the grated floor as the rest of Niska's men dropped their weapons and surrendered.

"Nice shot," Mal looked at Jayne.

"Weren't me," Jayne shook his head, looking to the catwalk. "Kilt all mine."

Jack looked in the direction her man was, seeing Inara by the door of her shuttle, smoking gun in hand. It gave her a different sort of look. Instead of the bejeweled companion, she was a spy, an assassin. A very pissed off elder sister.

"Very nice shot," Mal nodded.

"I was aiming for his head."

"I keep missing out on all the fun stuff," Jack complained as Simon fixed her shoulder up. The graze had been deeper than she thought, and apparently the bullet had been rusty; If the shot didn't get you, tetanus would a few days later.

"I'm certainly getting some new entries in my thesaurus," Simon joked. "Fun, see gunfights, thefts, and baseball."

Jack couldn't help but snort, letting out a cry as it pulled on her injury. "Fuck...did Jayne use all of our pain killers?"

"The most I'm giving you is asprin." Simon was wearing his doctor face. "You've been through too much stress recently and it's only your third day off of a hangover."

"Fine."

Jack sighed as Simon puttered around the infirmary, cleaning his tools and pulling the asprin from a cabinet. He'd reorganized everything since moving in. Used to be the pain killers were right on the counter. The gauze was in the drawer directly beneath it and the sanitizer in the same drawer. Serenity had a way about her, bringing people in and making them at home. Course, if they ever lost Simon, it would be a fun day of treasure finding.

"What was it like? Rescuing River like that?"

"Rescuing...well it was tough, and expensive."

"Those aren't feelings dummy. I mean what was it like, sneaking in to rescue her."

"I was terrified," Simon answered. "I was convinced that every glance, every question would be the one to give me away." He handed the little white pills over, along with a bit of water. "I should have planned things out a bit more. Found a place to run to after I got her out."

"Plans never work they way they should," Jack grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, Cap'n dad's plans tend to go seven kinds of wonky."

Simon couldn't help but smile at her statement. "Indeed they do."

Inara was coming towards them before they could speak anymore, shaking slightly as concern and near panic danced across her features.

"Kyra? Are you alright?"

"Five by five," she smiled back. Inara was shaking pretty bad by now. Seeing a person take a life was always different from actually shooting someone. And Inara hadn't even killed the man. "How about you?"

"I've been better," Inara admitted.

~!~

Jack leaned against the railing beside her man, waiting for Mal and Zoe to return. Jayne was relaxed, cigar in his mouth as he sat on the steps with a beer. He didn't even look like he was paying attention, but there were four new powder burns in the dirt beside their captives and one of the men had been shot in the back of the shoulder.

"How's yer battle wound?" Jayne asked.

"Burns a bit, Simon isn't giving me anything too strong for a while, wants me to take care of my liver."

"He's gonna have the whole gorram ship on a diet soon, ain't her?" Jayne grumbled.

"Doubtful," Jack snorted. River's anklet shimmered as she came over to them and sat on the grating by Jack's feet. The teen was staring at the bay door, past the henchmen Jayne had been guarding. "Capn' dad coming home?" River nodded.

The mule could be heard now, headlights shining in the dark, brighter and bigger the closer it got. Soon enough they could see Mal and Zoe's heads and soon enough, they were parked in the bay. The mule was empty save for the two crewmembers; neither had been shot.

"I take it we're wearing white hats?" Jayne asked, standing. He fired off a shot and someone shouted. "Always tryin' to run off..."

"Not wearing any hat," Mal shook his head. "Zoe, go get the cash, Jack, you see if our deal with Mr U-"

"Already did, he gave us the coordinates for pick up." After almost an hour of begging and bribery. It had taken another fifteen minutes to convince Kaylee to pose for him. "We get half when we pick up, half when we deliver."

Mal nodded, eyes brightening ever so slightly when Zoe ducked back in with their payment from Niska. It was a big bag. Very big. While Jack was sad to see it go, she was happier to know they'd done the right thing. She was also happy that Mr. U was going to give them a much bigger payday. Jayne stood, walking over to their hostages and grabbing Crow from the circle of men. Even from his seat in the dirt, he had been leering at them.

The man grit his teeth when Jayne kicked him to his knees in front of Mal.

"Now, this is all the money Niska gave us in advance," Mal held the bag up. "You bring it back to him, tell him the job didn't work out." Mal didn't even move when Crow spit at him. "We're not thieves, except when we are." It was almost like he could feel Jack's mental snort. Why else would he finish his sentence that way? "Point is, we're not takin' what's his. Now We'll stay out of his way best we can from here on in." Mal was wearing his sergeant face, Jack could feel it. "You explain that that's best for everyone."

The crow stood, using his injured leg first in an effort to prove his toughness. It worked pretty well. The tattooed crow sneered at Mal, eyes darting up to Jack and River for the barest of moments.

"Keep the money. Use it to buy a funeral." His eyes drifted back to River and Jack. "It doesn't matter where you go, or how far you fly. I will hunt you down, and the last thing you will see-"

Crow's words were cut off as Mal's boot connected with his chest. The leering man fell back, body sucked into the engine intakes; his final sound was a wet squelch. A dainty hand slid into Jack's, fingers tightening as River calmed herself. If anyone came after them, anyone they couldn't outrun, it was as simple as killing them. A body couldn't chase you if they were dead.

Jack reminded River of that as Jayne brought over one of the other henchmen.

"Now, this is all the money Niska gave us in Advance," Mal spoke again.

"Oh, I'm good," the henchman shook his head. "I speak for everyone, right there with you. Best for everyone."

~!~!~

Sha Gwa -Mandarin – stupid

An Damagh – Persian – booger – I notice Jack calls people boogers a lot. Maybe because I do?

Jieh – sister, elder

Kos omak – mother f*cker

Khara - shit

River is singing the song I Miss You by Bjork at the beginning of her scene with Simon. It's followed by 'So Nice So Smart by Kimya Dawson, I feel it fits her quite well.

I can never seem to find what it is I want to put Jack and River in so far as clothing goes. For River all I keep seeing is River Song and Jack is a sort of steam/dieselpunk hacker mechanic. So yeah. Anyways, I figured I'd do myself -and some of you- a favor and illustrate the pictures in my brain. I am in Fashion design after all, I should be able to design what I want them to wear, right?

MissTeardrop is my DA account if you want images to go with the chapters. ^_^


	7. Snicker and Clean

Interlude

Mr. U's Mystery Package

Jack rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance. The warehouse clerk was a grade A moron. How may times did she have to explain that she was picking a package up for a friend? After another fifteen minutes of trying to tell the clerk what the order number was -he constantly asking how she knew the number if she hadn't ordered the package- she managed to convince the clerk to let her use the warehouse wave.

She sincerely hoped Mr. U would answer.

"Blunt force would lower the fierce one to the man's IQ."

Jack rolled her head to look at River. Her new mei had come along for the ride, stowing away in the back of the mule while Simon ran about the ship looking for her. Even Jack hadn't known River was in the back until Jayne spoke up. They were halfway to their destination by that time and neither felt like turning back.

"Can't you do some sort of...mind thing or whatever?" Jack asked as she leaned against the counter, waiting. "Can't this idiot-" The screen sparked to life. "You are in serious trouble buddy!"

The funny little man furrowed his brows at her, opening his mouth to argue. "Tell this wonderful gentleman that you've given your approval or I swear to Allah I'm destroying whatever is in that stupid box!"

"Give her the package already," the voice behind the screen shouted.

~!~

"What do you reckon's inside?" Jayne asked as he unloaded the crate from the back of the mule. It looked an awful lot like the coffin toombs had come on board with.

"Don't know, don't care," Jack jumped down from the driver's seat. "Riv, come on and get down."

"The girl is unsure of her her new possessions."

"After three hours of shopping?" Jayne snorted. He finished unloading the coffin shaped crate, grumbling about a lack of decent help, before he left the cargo bay. He had dinner duty again.

River glared at his retreating form before turning to look at the smallest box in her hands. "They are laughing at me."

Jack furrowed her brows, climbing back onto the mule to see what River was looking at. The small blue box contained several new pairs of panties and a few bras. They were a bit of a contrast compared tot he rest of her clothes. Bright pink and baby blue, whereas River's new sweater and shorts shifted from deepest blue to black, to chocolatey brown.

"River, you have to wear your smallclothes."

"They are laughing, snickering at her, trying to be a woman when she is still a girl."

Jack opened her mouth before shutting it. That was not what she expected. It wasn't something to laugh about either, the alliance messing around with a girl's inner workings like that. A woman's body was a sacred thing, the crislam's deviated from their roots in that idea. No man shall touch upon the divine workings of God's daughter. No man shall dictate her will.

"Did they cut on anything?" River shook her head. "Then don't worry. It'll happen when it's supposed to. And when it does, come tell me."

"And the laughter?" River asked quietly.

"Don't worry about them," Jack climbed back down. "Got shorts don't you?"

"River!"

Jack ddn't even look up from her soup when Simon came into the kitchen.

"Ain't no need to shout," Mal scowled from his seat. "Everyone's right here."

"I, sorry, it's just, I've been looking for her," Simon moved closer to his sister, only to have Zoe grab onto his arm. "I have to-"

"Sit down and eat," Zoe told him in no uncertain terms. The whole table was waiting for Simon's reaction, spoons pausing, eyes waiting. Simon only nodded, taking his place between Book and Inara.

Jack was on her second bowl when Mal spoke up.

"We know what's in the crate?"

"Nothing living," Jack assured him. "No bounties, no slaving, whatever is in there isn't about the breath when we open it up."

Mal nodded, content with Jack's answer.

"You and lil' bit have a nice time on the town?"

Jack let out a sigh as Simon began to splutter.

~!~

Mr. U's moon was easily the most unassuming little rock in the Eastern quarter. A thick layer of orange and yellow clouds passed over head, the local sun had turned the sky a bloody red, and the various breeds of flora weren't something Jack would keep on her nightstand. It was hot too. The uncomfortable mixture of muggy and still that had each crew member begging to leave this planet as soon as the drop was made. Some of the crew even opted not to go outside.

Jack had to. She was the one who brokered the deal and as the sometimes, though not very often, acting captain, she had to learn how to keep business going the way it was supposed to. That meant finishing deals and making drops in person. It wasn't honorable otherwise.

At least someone coming with her. Three someones if she was honest; it would have been four if Simon wasn't such a damagh. Mal to make sure she didnt' get cheated, Zoe to act as general intimidation, and Jayne because he was in charge of loading and unloading things.

"Mighty brassy of you, pullin' that stunt with River," Mal pointed out as Zoe drove them to Mr. U's compound.

"I didn't pull anything," Jack argued from the backseat. "River stowed away in the back. Just got a bit too lazy to drive all the way back." Zoe's snort could be heard over the sound of the mule's engine and Mal could be seen grinning in the front passenger seat. "I suppose, if he's bellyaching so much, I could go and say something kind of like an apology."

"Don't bother," Jayne snorted. "We'll be right back where we started iffin' you give that boy an once of leeway with that feng le sister."

"Much as it pains me to say so, Jayne's right." Mal turned to look at them. "This here is my ship. My crew. Ain't lookin' to treat no one member better'n any other."

"Riv's part of the crew?" Jack asked.

"Cabin gir," Mal grunted. "Makin' her clean the airducts when we get back. Part of disobeyin' orders."

Jack smiled ever so slightly, leaning back against Jayne's arm as they drove.

The drop had gone quicker and cleaner than Jack had expected, Mr. U meeting them outside of his door with cash in hand. The very moment Jayne had set the coffin-box down, all four of them had been ushed off of his porch with a hurried farewell and good luck.

"You can not be serious."

Mal only handed the cleaning supplies to River.

"Mal-"

"Can't make her go and clean her room," Mal cut him off. "Someone else already been doin' it for her." Simon flinched ever so slightly. "Sides, River spends most of her time in the ducts, might as well give her somethin' to do while she's up there."

River looked at the rag and pail in her hand, lips pursed as they tried not to curl. Mal's thought process was illogical. She had nto broken orders, there had been no orders to break. No rules to lean against, no law to ignore. Yet he was punishing her as he would any other member of his family. His family. Was this her new family? Brother Simon, Sister of Two, sister's Sister and sister Copper...

"Best learn your lesson from this," Mal grinned down at her. "Sneak out, get chores."

A soft growl escaped River's lips. Family. "Yes dad."


	8. Bushwhacked

Jack had always loved playing hoopball. Always. The energy that came from the players and the sheer rush she got whenever she darted out of someone's way. It was one of the few sports allowed girls back in the orphanage she grew up in. The court had been smaller back then, dirtier because it was for girls, and their ball was frequently nabbed by the boys. Jack had still loved it, along with a few other girls.

At least this time there was enough people for even teams and a lively game. Kaylee, Mal, and Zoe had claimed to be one team, though rather often Wash or Zoe could be seen passing the ball to each other, their own team out here in the black. Jack was teamed up with Wash and Jayne, both of whom were taller than her, but so much fun.

"Too tall!" Jayne shouted as he stood with the ball out of Kaylee's reach.

"Jayne!" Wash shouted, he was open where as Jack was being guarded by Mal.

Jack rolled her eyes as Zoe stole the ball, shooting it towards the hoop and scoring.

The game continued, sort of, with Zoe's last shot, it had fallen into a sort of free for all, complete with Jayne sticking Kaylee through the hoop for something Jack must have missed. That was okay. Mal had started trying to use her as an arm rest, and a sweaty Mal was a horribly stinky one.

He had her cornered when the alarm went off. The lively game stopped.

"Proximity Alert," Zoe noted, breathing hard. "Must be coming up on something."

"Oh my god, what, what could it be?" Wash exclaimed, taking a step back as his eyes filled with mock-panic. "We're doomed, who's flying this thing?" Wash dropped the act as Zoe gave him a look. "Oh right, that would be me. Back to work."

The pilot climbed the stairs a bit slower than he might have another day involving proximity alarms.

"So I guess that makes us one man short," Kaylee spoke up.

"Little Kaylee's always one man short," Jayne snorted as he rest on a crate next to Jack. She had to punch him for that. "Ow, keep on like that and you'll be a man short too, all ground into the grating and bruised up."

"I barely touched you," Jack smiled, leaning up to kiss him.

"Quit it!" Mal shouted as he climbed the stairs. "Captain's rules might be broken, Dad rules are in full effect."

As he spoke his last word, the entire ship shifted to the side, throwing Mal into the railing and Inara into Mal. Those still standing in the bay either fell to the floor or against the cargo. Poor Book had already been a bit unsteady these last two days, falling into Jayne's weight bench was not healthy. The ship steadied out, Mal and Zoe heading to the bridge to see what was wrong, while Jack went to help the shepherd stand.

"You alright?" Jack asked. Book was only able to make it to the bench after his tumble.

"Just getting old. Thank you Miss Jack," Book smiled, patting her hand. "I was watching the game, perhaps I should have followed River's example and stayed up there."

"Bigger fall," Jack shook her head. "You should talk to Simon, mighta got a bug on our last stop." Book made a dismissive noise as Kaylee walked up. "I mean it, holy man or no, you have to make sure none of the scientific things are going to kill you before your time."

"You're sick?" Kaylee asked, eyes widening. "Shepherd, why ain't you told no one bout it?"

"Fine, if it will calm the both of you down, I will go speak with Simon." Book rolled his eyes at their combined look, chuckling as he rose. "Aright, alright, I'm going now."

Jack continued to watch him as he climbed the stairs, Kaylee was going with him, following close as she hemmed and hawed. Even Simon took on a look when the two stopped in front of him, however, his look was scolding the both of them. The three left the bay, Kaylee still worrying as Simon and Book walked to the infirmary.

"Need to leave an old man be," Jayne grumbled from across the bay. "Harpin' on too much like to do more harm'n good."

"Just worried," Jack shrugged.

"When you talk to Imam last?" Jayne asked, arms folded across his chest.

"About...jeez," Jack rubbed her temples tying to remember. "I'm gonna go change, call him up. Maybe call your ma too."

"Don't you dare call her without me there."

Jack only laughed as she made her way to the shuttle.

~!~

Imam closed his eyes, really, he couldn't imagine a worse time for someone to wave than right now when a convict was holding a knife to his throat. His eyes flickered over to the cortex screen, giving thanks to Allah that it had been Jack to call him.

"She is calling now," Imam pointed at the screen. "You should answer it."

Jack leaned away as River tried to take her hand. River was trying to color on them with her pencils, echoing Inara's attempts to paint them and Kaylee's comments on making them 'shiny'. Jack just wanted to clip them short. Useless as it might be, she was going to ask Imam's opinion. That or she was going to ask if he could tell her how to open the hidden compartment in Ghost. Even Jayne was-

"You're distracted."

Jack's head jerked up at the sound of Riddick's rumbling voice. Even River's hand paused as she looked into the screen.

"Riddick!" The man on screen had far too much hair right now. "Did you get in a fight with a bear or something?"

"Growls too loud," River whispered, moving to hide behind Jack.

"Been hiding out," he grinned through his beard. "Bit like your friend."

"Well you should get rid of the fur. It's weird." Jack leaned forward on the flight console, reaching behind herself to take River's hand. ""Riv's shy. I'm going to guess you've been freezing your pi guh off somewhere."

"Guessing right, of course, someone decided to give away my location." Jack didn't miss the way Riddick' eyes flickered to the side. "What kind of trouble are you in?"

"Shipping," Jack answered honestly. "Little bit of less than legal shipping, things, not people. Been doing some legit work for my sister. Oh, I have a sister." Jack glanced behind herself. "Well, a couple of 'em."

Jack began telling him just what she'd been up to these last seven years. Inara had helped her finish her schooling, she was part of a crew, getting paid for mostly honest work. She talked a little bit about River, though the girl behind her only watched Riddick through Jack's hair. Jack leaned to the side, letting out a noise as River moved as well.

"Meimei, he isn't gonna go and be a snitch," Jack sighed, sitting back up. Riddick was grinning on the other side.

"If she can not see him, he can not see her," River shook her head, tone final. "This is known."

Jack missed the glint in Riddick's eyes, instead focusing on her mei. After a few seconds, River nodded at her, allowing Jack to turn back to the screen. Imam was moving around in the background, talking to his wife and daughter. She hadn't seen Ziza or any of them in a very long time.

"Come see me," Jack spoke up. "We're planning to stop on Ziggurat soon." The man shifted in his seat, trying to tell her no. "Riddick, please. I need to introduce you to my boyfriend." Jack smiled when a dangerous glint entered Riddick's eyes. Even Imam had paused in his discussion, face coming into view as his eyes narrowed. Inara was right, men were pretty damn easy. "Assuming we don't get waylaid by one of Mal's plans, we should be landing on Ziggurat fairly soon...Or Persephone. I hate that moon."

"Maybe," Riddick finally grunted. A pounding was heard through the screen, someone was requesting the right to enter Imam's home. "Persephone."

The screen flickered off as Inara came back into the room.

"Riddick's comin' to visit!"

The companion started at her sister's sudden shout, nearly dropping her teapot. Inara's eyes were wide as she tried to reclaim her bearings, eventually smiling and nodding before she sat down. River was done hiding in Jack's hair; she was now sitting at the table with her pencils and paper, patiently waiting for a cup of tea.

"Does he have a ship?" Inara asked, sitting at the table. Kyra joined her, grinning wide as she sat beside her sister. "Or is he meeting us at...where is Mal stopping next?"

"Where does he always stop?" Kyra snorted, taking the teapot and pouring for the other two women. "He's meeting up with us on Persephone, assuming he doesn't get dragged of the the slam."

"Captain daddy would disapprove," River hummed

No sooner had she spoken than Mal came into their shuttle, face drawn and looking rather grim. He had his coat on and his pistol at his hip. The look alone made Jack wonder what was going on. She could hear Jayne complaining as he passed by, Zoe's footsteps sounding behind him as Kaylee started chirping like an optimism machine.

"We need ya to get through some security codes," Mal told her. "Ran into a ship, mighta been engine trouble, so get your pi guh down there and make it snappy fore something decides to investigate."

Jack nodded, taking a rather large drink of her tea as she grabbed her portable cortex, stopping only once by the bed to grab Ghost. Inara continued speaking softly to River as Jack left the shuttle, telling the girl of dances she'd learned at the Guild of Flowers.

"It wasn't an engine malfunction was it?" Jack asked as she hacked through security some moments later. Kaylee was hopping across with them to check the drifter for spare parts.

"Ain't engine trouble no more'n it's a cup of coffee. Tell she don't wanna be parked the way she is, port thruster missin, s'what's makin' her spin like she is," Kaylee snorted. Her tool belt was hanging low on her waist, Jack's belt hanging from her hand. "We find one, we need a catalyzer. And if we can, we need to get a new filter fer the water system."

Jack couldn't agree more. Captain Pinchpenny might have been fine with stale, slightly muddy tasting water, but the people on board who weren't soldiers at some point were very against it. The cortex let out a small beep, a smiling little egg dancing across the screen, letting Jack know the status of the drifter's interior.

"Hull integrity is still holding," Jack shouted over her shoulder. "O2 is a little on the thin side, and there's some kind of issue with the grave booster on the second level."

"Issue," Jayne snorted as he propped a crowbar on his shoulder. "I'll bet the issue over there was something real simple, reckon that floater we hit did everyone on board, ghosted 'em all then decided to take a swim through space, see how fast his blood would boil out his ears."

"Shouldn't we call it in?"

Four heads swung up to look at the catwalk, Simon was standing there, obviously looking for his missing sister. Silly Simon.

"I mean, something like this, the Alliance-"

"Need I remind you just what the Alliance thinks about the value of human life?" Mal asked. "We're goin in, takin' what we can. Iffin' they got any survivors-"

"Just two," Jack interrupted. "One on the second level, maybe in cryo, the second is moving."

Mal nodded as she continued to manipulate the other ship from her device. There was data on this ship, lots of it, from music to captures to digital books. Jack set her cortex down by the door, the egg on screen protesting as she tipped it, and took her tool belt from Kaylee. They were good to go, and it was best if they went before anyone came by.

The hiss of the airlock doors always made Jack uneasy, and when they hooked up to the drifter, Jack realized the gravity issue wasn't on the second floor. The second level was the only place the grav booster was still working. The rest of the ship was in zero gravity, or close enough that it didn't make a difference.

Mal and Zoe drifted in first, guns drawn as they made their way through to the other side of the bay. Jayne was watching their six, keeping Jack and Kaylee in front of him and Cassie in his hands. Mal looked back and Jack, motioning with his head that she needed to get the door open.

"This place is creepy Cap'n Dad," Jack grumbled as she knelt in front of the control panel and switched the wiring around. She liked rewiring in low gravity, less tangling was involved. "Kay-jeih, the engine room is right after this door."

"Where's the safe?" Jayne asked as he and Kaylee came to a stop next to them.

"Better question, can we get the grav booster working?"

"Whoever been down here ain't got two cents when it comes to engine upkeep," Kaylee grumbled as she tore out another cluster of wires. Copper hair was spread around her like a halo as she floated upside down, scowling at the engine as though it were somehow to blame. "Like they tossed the instruction manual into the gorram sun!"

"Computer system was hardly better," Jack snickered as she braced herself against a wall. Rewiring was easy, removing spare parts in zero grav was not. "Then again, it's a settler ship."

"An empty settler ship," Kaylee pointed out. "Ain't no way that guy offed a whole ship full of people and we ain't got no bodies to count up."

Jack couldn't help but agree. There were supposed to be twenty-three families living on this boat. There was a grand total of seven bodies and two unknowns. Jack didn't like unknowns, she never had.

She didn't like drifting through empty corridors either. Especially not corridors that looked like they'd been freshly painted and didn't match up with the map she'd pulled earlier. The settlers had turned corridors into rooms, setting up walls where there didn't need to be and altering the wiring to suit their needs. It didn't make the missing bodies any more comforting. Neither did slipping in reddish brown liquid when something barked at her.

Kaylee was down beside Jack a few minutes later, cooing over a small, squirming, lump of fur. Very squirmy actually. A small pup was covered in dried brown muck, whining piteously as Kaylee picked it up. The creature was too covered in grime to see his coloring, and his eyes were covered in a cloudy goo.

"Poor thing, must be starvin' out here. An he's cold!"

"Just a pup, can't be more than a week," Jack sighed as she wiped her hand off and reached for the puppy. Soft puppy fur greeted her fingertips and milk teeth decided to dig into her skin. "Let's get him back to Serenity, hand him off to Simon."

"Simon?" Kaylee furrowed her brows. "Oh, people an animals ain't all that different are they?"

"Especially not babies."

They could hear the blow torch going as they passed through the cargo bay of the Drifter, quiet and careful not to draw too much attention from Mal or Zoe. It was far better to argue about getting a pet after said pet already lived on board. Book was waiting in Serenity's hold when they crept back in, glancing down at the ball in Kaylee's arms before smiling and grandfather's smile.

"I think I'm going to see if there's anything for a growing child," Book followed them up the stairs. "Some sort of formula, maybe even powdered milk."

"That'd be right shiny," Kaylee beamed. "You comin' with Jack?"

"Don't think so," Jack answered as she saw River walking towards the derelict. "Let me...River!" The dancer paused at the airlock door, giving a look as Jack hurried down the stairs. "I'm not stopping you, just telling you to wait up."

River seemed half satisfied, fingers lacing with Jack's own as they entered the derelict.

"There are ghosts in here," River whispered as they touched down by the door. "Screaming."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, unclipping ghost and pushing them off towards the place she'd last seen Mal and Zoe. "Slipped in one of them earlier."

"She knows. They stained her pants."

Jack glanced down, scowling as she noticed the giant stain along her leg. Probably reached around the back too. Damn. She liked these ones.

A gunshot resounded through the ship, making Jack tighten her grip on River's hand. Neither hid behind the other, instead moving towards the sound side by side, Ghost leading the way in Jack's hand. They entered a room at the same moment Mal, Zoe, and Jayne did, each of the others holding their own firearm and assessing the others or injuries.

"Heard a gunshot," Mal spoke.

"Someone jumped me from behind, big, strong," Jayne's jaw was clenching. "I think I might of hit him."

"Trial," River pointed at the floor.

"Sharp eye Lil' Bit," Mal nodded, eyes following a trail of blood on the floor. The captain continued following it until he stood in front of the vent it disappeared into. The closer he'd gotten to the vent, the closer Jack had moved to stand by Jayne. The scent of must and dried blood seemed to fill their noses completely now. The eerie quiet of the ship echoed loud in their ears and Jayne's theory of someone offing all the others didn't seem so far off now.

"Dad," Jack hissed as Mal crouched in front of the vent and pried it open.

"Know what I'm doin' Jackie," Mal set the grate aside. She could hear someone inside of the vent, whimpering and muttering about mercy and the lack thereof. "Careful now, ain't no one gonna hurt you. Least, not more than we already did."

Jack could feel River moving to hide behind herself and Jayne, nearly whimpering as much as the man in the vent was. Mal's fist shot into the vent, ending the man's ramblings quickly before he pulled the fellow out. He was scrawny, malnourished, blood under his nails and matting his hair. It reminded Jack of someone she'd seen on Xibalba, someone who'd escaped the Golls.

"A real beast," Zoe remarked, raising her brow at Jayne. "A wonder you're still alive."

"Bigger when I couldn't see 'em," Jayne bristled.

"Always are," Jack patted him on the arm.

~!~

"Quit flinching will you?"

"Stings."

Jack could only roll her eyes as she leaned over Jayne. She and River were sitting on the couch and Jayne on the floor between Jack's knees. A deep gash was hiding in his hair thanks to the survivor and a lead pipe. Kaylee was sitting in front of Jayne, her legs keeping the puppy slightly caged as it ate the protein/formula goo Book had brought down a few minutes ago. Wash had recently returned with a squeaking rubber dinosaur and Inara had gone for warm water and soap. Zoe had said something about a spare pillow before she too disappeared.

"Odd isn't it?"

Jack looked over at Book. He'd taken his usual chair by the couch, plush and covered in cabbage roses.

"The situation," Book clarified once he realized only Jack was listening. "A man lay dying not ten feet, and half of the crew is hypnotized by a puppy."

"I think we have more a better chance of saving the pup," Jack answered, moving her arm when River reached across her lap for a piece of gauze. "Less chance of the pup going off the deepside and killing us all in our sleep."

As though to prove her wrong, the pup clamped it's teeth down on the rubber dino, shaking it furiously with a growl as the lizard squealed.

"Less chance," Book agreed with a chuckle.

"I reckon I like my chances with a dog more than a man."

Mal and Simon had joined them by now, the captain's eyes on the dog as it gnawed at the rubber toy. He squatted down beside them, extending a finger to the creature and smiling when the pup rolled onto it's back. Jack had to smile as well. Finally, something on the ship respected Mal without question.

"So, how's our patient?" Kaylee was trying very hard not to grin.

"Aside from borderline malnutrition, he's in remarkably good health," Simon answered as Inara returned with the dog's bathwater. There was a few moments silence as River began wiping the grime from the dog's fur.

"So," the shepherd smiled. "He'll live."

"Mite unfortunate in my mind," Mal spoke. His tone was grim, mouth set into a line as he looked away from the pup to the infirmary.

"Not a very charitable attitude captain." Book was displeased.

"Chairty'd be putting a bullet in his brainpan," Mal argued.

"Mal!" The dog winced at Inara's shout. She was kneeling beside River and Kaylee, helping to wash the puppy.

"Only save him the suffering," Mal shook his head. He moved over to the infirmary, pulling the door shut. "No one goes in. Nothing more we can do for him now, not after what he's seen."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked.

"That ship was hit by Reavers."

He walked away from them towards the mess, face still grim as he attempted to walk away. Inara and Book followed, as did Jayne and Kaylee, leaving two brunette women and Wash in the commons. Zoe came in after a few minutes, a pillow in one hand and a leather band in the other. Her face was as grim as Mal's had been, though hers softened when she got a look at the now white and tan puppy. It's eyes were lined with black, matching it's rounded nose, and one of it's feet had a Tan sock to match his ears and vest-like markings.

"Captain says we're having a funeral in a few hours," Zoe commented as she sat on the couch beside Jack. She'd handed the collar over to River after the puppy climbed into her lap; it was still gnawing on the dinosaur, though Wash's hand seemed to be gaining attention.

"Good," Jack nodded. "I can go grab my book, maybe help the shepherd with the sending."

"I know a few of them would appreciate that."

The funeral was short, sweet, and over much later than Jack would have liked. But she sang the songs just as Book recited his prayers. Even Mal and Zoe seemed alright with having a moments silence for the departed.

Jayne was hauling the cargo in just as Jack and the others settled on the stairs. He'd opted out of the funeral, preferring to get the goods and offer his own prayers in privacy. Yes, her man gave prayers, just not in the company others.

"What's goin on?" Jayne asked as Kaylee climbed out of a vent.

"Wonderin' that myself," Jack agreed.

A look was shared between Mal and Kaylee, rather a bright grin and a satisfied nod.

"Well, I'd have to say, right at this particular moment, not a thing." Mal smiled at Kaylee. "Right?"

"Not a gorram thing," Kaylee chirped.

"Looked a thing to me," Jayne scowled, crossing his arms in front of him. Jack could see a piece of blue felt sticking out of his pocket. He had been praying with them, just not visibly.

Kaylee was not forthcoming, instead skipping up the steps to get to the engine room, grinning merrily at Jack as she went. She paused at the door long enough to let River and the puppy through, giving one a little pat and the other a little kiss.

"Thought we mighta had a thing," Mal agreed. "But it looks to be taken care of." He turned to look at Jack, waving her towards the cargo as he opened one of the storage compartments. "Right, let's get this merchandise put away."

Mal hit the comm, cheerfully informing Wash that everyone had returned to the ship. But luck was a strange thing on Serenity, for no sooner had Mal finished his statement than the proximity alarm was going off again.

Jack sat in the small room, foot tapping in annoyance as she waited for the fool to come and question her. It wasn't her first time being interrogated, it probably wouldn't be her last, and the room was just like every other Alliance run military interrogation room. Bland. Cold. Too bright.

Jayne and everyone else on board had been carted off to their own individual rooms and the dog was in the care of Inara, the only one who might be able to get away with saying it belonged to her instead of the drifter ship.

Finally, the blue eyed dumb-ass came in, clipboard in hand and all swagger. He pulled his seat out, sitting slowly without a care. He had all the time in the world, why not use it?

"Kyra Serra, aka Jack Reynolds, aka Jack B Badd," the officer recited. "Quite a list of names you have there."

"Only the two now," Jack folded her arms across her chest. It was too cold in the room and while her arm warmers did the trick on Serenity, they weren't enough here. "Left Miss Badd on Helion Prime."

The officer raised a brow before nodding in approval.

"Your sister claimed you as one of hers, but Captain Reynolds says your part of his crew."

"Can't do both?" Jack asked, trying not to shiver. Fuck it. "Can you turn the heat up? Please? I'm freezing over here."

The officer blinked before nodding at a nearby soldier. After a few seconds, the room was warmer that Serenity on most days.

"You've had a clean record since joining with Reynolds."

"Positive role model," Jack answered. "Better than the last one at least."

"Yes, Richard B. Riddick was in charge of you last, wasn't he?"

"I'd say it's a step up in the eyes of most folk."

She still looked up to Riddick, always would. But living on Serenity had given her a bit more purpose than following in his footsteps.

"You're handy with computers?"

"Fair enough," Jack shrugged. "I keep Inara's schedule organized, keep the crew's schedule organized, cargo inventory,...I do a lot of organization."

"Ship clerk," the officer hummed. "Always useful. You may want to keep that in mind Miss Serra, just in case you need to make a choice."

"No choices to be made," Jack shook her head. "I'm not leaving my family."

"Yes, I suppose a man like Mr. Cobb might try to hunt you down." The officer tossed a clear plastic bag onto the table. "Unless he wasn't supposed to have those."

"I can tell you right now that they weren't for you and your boys to touch." She tried not to let her jaw clench. Tried very hard to keep from reaching over and punching him. "You touch anyone else's smallclothes? Or just the Crislam girl's?"

"I apologize for the insult-"

"I'll have to burn them now. You realize that right?" Jack recited a line from the book, a line about no man holding a woman's clothes, no man looking upon her coverings lest he be her father or husband. "And Mr. Cobb is going to be my husband real soon."

"My sincerest apologies Miss Serra." The officer stood from his seat. "I'll make sure you're compensated for the cost."

River laughed as she lost herself amidst the twinkling black. The sea of stars wiped all sound, all thoughts fell quiet in the abyss of the endless night. The night was when their people shone brightest, it was known.

The beast was known. He had a voice now, deep and rumbling like boulders down the mountain, like a furious earth god, awoken from his slumber. It was as fierce as any beast, and he'd been watching her through the screen, even as he spoke to Jieh-Jack. He saw her through the safety of the chocolate waves.

He might devour her whole, as the black might swallow her up right now.

Grandmother had said as much.

She heard the shaking thoughts of Simon beside her. He was terrified of the black, he didn't understand the lovely silence of it all. The endless black, the uncountable twinklings within, the ongoing life out in the distance. Ever moving, over on.

Captain Daddy and Sister and Copper Sister, and Big Sister, and Sister's Big Sister were in the other ship and River realized she may need to reassign her sisters names. No. No she didn't need to at all. They knew who they were and she knew who they were and no one else needed to know because they weren't family. Not like Brother or Sister's Man. Not like Grandfather and Simon. They would have new family soon. Sister's Brother was coming to visit and slice at the man with a girl's name, coming to growl and bite and no, he was no longer a mountain, he'd never been a mountain at all. Perhaps a bear. A large, growling bear, quiet and silent unless provoked. No, that didn't fit right either.

Perhaps he was just the Riddick.

The Furyan.

Yes. That fit quite nicely. He would fit quite nicely.

Jack was allowed to rejoin her family after her questioning. Inara sat in a chair, holding the pup on her lap while Zoe and Wash sat over to one side. Book was beside Inara, reading from his book as he waited for the officer to return. Kaylee was resting her chin on her knees beside a potted plant and Jayne was leaning against a wall, arms crossed and jaw set as he stared at a spot on the wall. Mal was still being questioned.

"How'd it go?" Jack asked, moving to kneel in front of her sister. The pup gave a mighty yawn before settling down once more. "I kinda like Sprocket."

"Went as many interrogations go I suppose," Inara smiled. It was a sad smile. "My record will once more be marked by that man."

"Which record?" Jack asked quietly. Inara only smiled at her once more. "What do you think?"

"Sprocket?" Inara asked. Her brows had risen in disbelief even as she tried not to laugh. "I think he's more of a Beau. A sweetheart and a gentleman."

"That tiny thing ain't no gentleman," Kaylee snorted. "Done chewed through every toy we given him."

"Not the dinosaur," Wash pointed out. "I think it's his favorite."

"We could name him Rex," Kaylee smiled, lifting a hand towards Wash. "Chewasaurus Rex."

"Aint' namin' no dog a name that gorram long." Jayne finally grunted. "Like to forget you're talkin' to him."

"Perhaps we could name him Lazurus?" Book smiled. "Rising alive from a ship of the dead."

"Lassie..." Jack tested the nickname on her tongue. It seemed...it seemed a bit fluffy for their boy.

Book seemed to agree with her unspoken thought, making a face. The name game continued as they waited; there wasn't much else to do and worrying wouldn't help a bit. The pup woke, ran about, played with them. Peed on the potted plant and left a tiny pile under a window. All the while his name was left in the air, unknown and eluding them as much as the dog avoided their guard.

"Diesel."

The pup stopped it's game with Wash's fingers and looked up as Mal walked into the room. A tiny bark sounded as he bounded over, stumbling over his overly large feet. The captain bent to pick Diesel up when the puppy started having trouble with his ear; he kept stepping on it.

"We'll call him Doo for short," Mal nodded, holding a grin back as he spotted the tiny pile. "Come on. Best get out of here before they decide to blow the drifter early."

~!~

Jack was never so glad to clean her room as she had been that evening. And Jayne had never been so pissed off as to know they'd taken his trophy from two nights previous.

Alliance had taken the goods with them before they left. And Jack was now short five pairs of small clothes. She wasn't th only one it turned out. Inara was missing bits, Zoe and Kaylee as well. Damn good thing they were going to Persephone to grab a job. Jack had half a mind to go shopping with the rest of the girls, and Doo needed food and a few shots.

"She forgets the Riddick," River popped up from behind her. "We will pick up the Big Brother and he will growl."

"Do more than growl," Jack grinned over her shoulder. "How was your space walk?"

"The girl did not walk, walking requires gravity, a calculated fall." River blinked at her for a moment. "It was calming."

"Good," Jack grinned, hefting another drawer back into it's place. "You wanna help me fold some stuff?"

"The girl must hunt for her birds," River scowled. "They are hidden amongst the crew's petals. Fleeing the grabbing hands."

"Folding helps us find them quicker," Jack pointed out, starting on a pair of pants. "If I find em, I'm hiding them."

River was silent as they folded up the various garments. Inara came in a few moments later, carrying a pot of hot water and several rags before she began scrubbing at a reddish stain on her wall. Her makeup had been overturned and spread across half of the shuttle. At some point, the scrubbing turned halfhearted and the youngest of them sat on the bed, fiddling with the mirrored comforter as Jack continued to organize part of her life.

"Was it scary?" Jack asked, setting one of River's shirts to the side. "Knowing that guy was running around?"

"It, it hurt." River admitted, leaning forward on the bed. "The screaming in his mind, it scratched my ears and at my brain."

"Next time I'll be agreeing with Mal," Inara sighed, wringing a cloth out. She was scowling at the still red wall. "Reavers..."

"On the upside it wasn't a necro," Jack pointed out, setting another shirt by River. "Necro ship, we'd all be dead."

"Walking or roasted," River hummed. "He flees from them, grumbling all the while." Her voice had turned misty and soft, almost distant, but not quite. "He will be there. Prowling the shadows of the Toombs."

~!~

The smell of smoke and burnt flesh surrounded them as they made their way to the docking bay. Imam and his wife and daughter, the four of them quiet as could be. Holy man had nearly been taken out, Ziza and the wife left behind. He had a weakness for women, always had, but those two weren't the right knid of woman. The girl might be, one day, but it wasn't likely. It had been going well until the reached the docks, Toombs ship had a pretty nifty autostart feature.

But, Toombs' ship also belonged to someone else.

"First mistake you made," Toombs grinned. "Not offing me when you had the chance." Five others surrounded him, wearing cloaks and carrying gun, four men, one woman. "Second mistake, not removing the tracking beacon in my ship."

"Five man crew this time," Riddick chuckled. He looked around at them. Imam was standing at the edge, protecting his wife and kid. His fingers seemed to be reaching for something under his robes. Probably his beads. "Seem pretty skittish Toombs. You tell them what happened to the last crew?"

"What happened to the last crew?" One of them asked, young, male, clean. His accent placed him from the Eastern sector, but his manners pegged him as a bored rich boy.

"Not important," toombs grunted. "Now, how about-"

Three gunshots rang out, quick and close together. Three of Toomb's men fell to the ground.

Riddick lifted his brows in surprise to see Imam with a smoking gun. A nice piece. The convertible sniper rifle was well cared for and well used. The Holy man wore a soldiers face, emotionless, cold, the face of a man who did work that needed doing. Riddick's respect for the man rose, knowing that when it really came down to it, the holy man would have his back. Then again, Imam had his back a bit more that Riddick would have liked.

"I suggest we depart," Imam spoke, his gun was held lax in front of him and his wife was looking at him in sadness. "Your shotgun takes nearly four seconds to fire accurately," he told the woman. "And your pistol has a glitch in the programming, every fifteenth shot is a misfire." The young man's eyes widened, shock running through all of their scents.

"We should go," Riddick grinned.

"Where the hell does a holy man learn to fire a gun like that?" Toombs asked as they climbed aboard his ship. He and his two remaining crew members were coming along for a ride, handcuffed to a bulkhead in the back of the ship. Their guns had been taken as well, locked up in the gun rack.

"We all begin as something else," Imam spoke softly, buckling Ziza into her seat. "Sometimes, we must go back to our roots."

~!~!~!~!~

Bit shorter than usual, this really wasn't my favorite episode though.

Also, is it bad that I see Yzma and Kronk whenever I look at the Vaako couple?


	9. Late Night Musings

Mal leaned back in the pilots seat, scratching the skin behind Doo's ears as he watched the black pass by. Mighty good idea, taken the pup on board. River was needing fewer smoothers, gave the crew something of a mascot, and finally, something listened to him!

Then again. River and drugs never made for a very good day. Wasn't a nice thing, seeing her walk around Serenity like a zombie or a ghost. Not when she could go hide in Inara's shuttle or with Jack. She'd done a mighty good job cleaning the vents too. Seemed to help her out some, cleaning. Doing something simple and productive helped block out whatever programming the alliance had put inside of her brain. Wasn't right, doing that to someone.

Doo was the ship mascot though. And he did listen to Mal better than anyone on the ship. The tiny dog shifted on Mal's chest, yawning as he settled himself back in. They were going to have to potty train the dog, teach him to do his business in some corner, maybe even invest in a pet potty. Keep the scent down.

Mal picked up one the pup's paws, wondering just how big their boy was going to get. They were big paws. Good, body needed to be able to protect himself and those around him, human or not.

That was one of the reasons Mal kept his distance from Inara. It was best for her. Getting involved with a brown-coat and living a life of crime, it wasn't meant for her. It almost wasn't meant for Jack, but his girl had a fire in her, the kind of fire that wasn't suited to sitting at a desk or in a home. The kind that told him another war might happen one day. He wasn't looking forward to that day, not really. Not when they had Necros on one side and Reavers on another and Alliance over on another.

"Gettin' mighty crowded in my sky Doo," Mal mumbled, scratching him behind the ears again. "Mighty crowded."

A light flashed by Jack's station, blinking bright green before mellowing and staying lit. She had a message. Mal knew that much. Course, he didn't know if he should listen to it or just let it go.

Doo's leg kicked as he dreamed his puppy dreams.

"Suppose you're right."

Jack would tell him later. She always did.


	10. ShindigBait and Switch

Jack was flicking through the data she'd been gathering on the cortex. Mr. U had sent over another job, this one of a lower priority, they could do it when they had the time or when they were in the area. He gave them the details this time. He needed a soil sample from some moon in the middle of nowhere; relocation had been on his mind lately.

That was what Jack was trying to distract herself with.

New Mecca had been hit up by Necros. The whole verse knew about it by now and the pressure was being put onto the Alliance to do something. New Mecca wasn't just some backwater moon, it was one of the hub planets that kept the 'verse going. The same night Jack had been talking to Riddick, the same night they'd dealt with their own murderous _kanith_ and the same night a new life had come to them in the form of Doo-Dog.

Jack let out a sigh, returning to what she'd been doing before. Hacking into the satellite feeds around New Mecca, checking to see if anything had jumped off of the planet before the Necros started rooting everyone out.

"Seem to you we cleared out of Santo in a hurry?" Wash asked a few moments later. He knew all about the recent and ongoing massacre. Thankfully he wasn't asking questions about it. Instead he was asking her menial, mindless questions.

"Seems we do that an awful lot lately."

When had Zoe joined them? Jack turned to see her leaning against the pilot's chair, glancing at Jack when she turned. Jack looked around to see if anyone else was on the bridge. No. Not even Jayne. He was down in his bunk using her cortex to write out a message to his mother.

"Heard tell we're going to stay a while on Persephone though," Zoe continued. She looked over at Jack. "We're meeting up with Imam, right?"

"Hopefully," Kyra sighed, turning to look at the upcoming planet. Her answers would be there. The real, concrete answers, warm bodied and breathing. "His wife is pretty nice, and his daughter, Zisa, she's cute. Bit of a troublemaker."

"Shiny," Wash grinned. "Seem to be picking up kids an awful lot though."

"Well that's because they're all joyful," the clunk of Mal's boots sounded up the stairs, Zoe and Jack turning to face him while Wash continued to take them into orbit. "Ain't taken anymore on board though less it's to take 'em somewhere safe and their parents are paying."

"Or a war buddy calls up a favor," Zoe smirked.

Mal made a noise, walking to stand between Jack and Wash. He glanced down at Jack's work, another sound escaping his lips before he began to curse softly. The Alliance was never high on his list of favorite things, but they might get bumped down real soon. The captain leaned forward, flicking through one article in particular as he read about the Necro Strike. It was the first time they'd taken out one of the Alliance's big planets. Most times they stuck to the Union side of the verse or the Freelands.

"Planet's coming up a mite fast," Zoe spoke. Both Jack and Mal looked up to find she was right.

"Well, yeah, that might be because I'm landing us a bit fast." Wash was regaining his control of the ship, but it looked to be a bit shaky. "Like to crash and kill us all."

"Well, that happens, let me know." Mal pushed himself off of Jack's chair, turning to head down the stairs. "We need to get Doo a leash."

Jack rolled her eyes as she shut the screen down. Zoe was watching her expectantly, waiting for something. The younger rose from her seat, hardly surprised when Zoe motioned for her to follow. The two went down into the Washburne bunk, Zoe moving over to a dresser while Jack leaned against the ladder.

"You think they're going to try and take the whole Helion system?" Zoe asked. She was getting her gear out, Mare's Leg was pulled from the gun rack and set into the leather holster.

"Probably. Everyone's in so much shock from New Mec..." Jack let out a shaking breath, tears falling just as Kyra sank to the floor. Zoe was sitting next to her a few minutes later, her own tears trickling down.

Both of them had family on New Mecca, and while Jack's might have gotten away, there wasn't a high chance Zoe's had. Not unless they'd managed to leave planet before the invasion even happened, tipped off or just lucky. It was different, crying with Zoe. It was one thing to expose her feelings in front of Inara and River, but some things she'd show only in front of her mentor.

They'd fallen into silent tears as the ship hit dirt, staring at nothing in particular as they calmed themselves, assured themselves that it was alright, they still had the world around them. They still had Serenity and the crew. In a few, they'd hit up the cortex, see if any ships had popped up in Jack's search.

"Come on," Zoe rubbed Jack's arm. "We have to put our emotions away right now."

Jack nodded, following Zoe from the room after both had calmed themselves down. They didn't need weepy women on this job, and Inara was talking about going to some party tonight. Crying girls didn't make companions look good.

Persephone had a mood about it. Alive and moving, laughter and shouts and a mix of every language Jack knew and didn't ran to meet her ears as the hatch opened. The smell of dust and strangers came at her as well as she moved down the ramp with Kaylee. Inara had asked, delicately, if Jack might go out and get them a few things before tonight's party. A suggestion to soothe herself by spending money as she waited for her brother to come home, there was also the suggestion of returning before dark so they could relax at a ball.

Only Inara would see a room full of Core-bred, law loving, Alliance supporters as relaxing.

Possibly Simon, pre-fugitive days.

"Oh! Lookit that one!"

Jack turned to face Kaylee, following her finger and nearly groaning. She'd forgotten about the ball gown part of the ball. On the upside, she wouldn't be wearing the gown Kaylee was fixated on.

"Am I lookin' at the dress or the girls?" Jayne asked from behind her.

"You better not be lookin' at the girls," Jack turned to face him. He was of course looking at her rather than the window, grinning even. "Smartass." He only shrugged, kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, look at the fluffy one!" Kaylee cried.

That had been the dress Jack was trying very hard to look away from. It was just so...loud.

"Too much foofaraw," Zoe shook her head. "If I'm going to wear a dress, I'd want something with some slink."

Wash seemed to pick up on the idea quickly, asking Mal for slinky dress money while Jayne leaned over to whisper into Jack's ear.

"How about you? Want I should buy you a slinky dress?"

"I'd rather you took my clothes off," Jack scowled at him. "Two months Jayne, please."

"Ain't takin' nothin' off less it's white and my name's attached to yours."

"Jayne Serra?" Jack grinned. "It could work."

"Woman," Jayne growled through a grin. An exasperated sort of grin; they'd discussed this a good few times by now.

"We won't even have to go all the way," Jack moved closer, hooking her thumbs into his belt loops. Before her next comment could be made, the captain was speaking quite loudly with very mean words. Words in regards to Kaylee and her well loved, though sorely bruised, femininity. Zoe caught Jack's eyes as she mounted their Quad-ATV, Kaylee climbing on not a second later.

"See ya on the ship Dad," Jack pulled away from Jayne before hopping onto the back beside Kaylee. "We're going to continue our discussion."

The ATV was pulling away before any of the crew could respond, Mal giving Jayne a look while Wash continued to fantasize about his wife in slinky dresses.

"What ya'll discussin?" Kaylee asked, perky and smiling. She was still upset, Jack could see it in her eyes.

"Bedroom stuff and the lack thereof." Jack turned to the woman driving them. "Where are we headed to?"

"Away from idiot men," Zoe smiled. "The harbormaster owes me a favor. I figured we could ask him about recent dockings."

"That's right, we're supposed to meet up with," Kaylee fell silent, suddenly remembering what she'd heard earlier that day. "Man like him, seems like he ain't the type to get caught, even by death his own self."

"Thanks Kaylee," Jack smiled.

The citizens and guests of Persephone were milling around them. Their vehicle would slow to a crawl sometimes, other times it was completely stopped as one man argued with another or a troupe of children followed a nun back to school. Docks held a sort of fascination for all three women, the bustle of life and emotions and exchanging and taking, it created a song of sorts, a rapid jig, or a polka. It was quieter in front of the harbormaster's office. A few men or women coming in and out, lighter in coin than they had been when they entered.

Zoe led the charge, locking the ATV down before heading towards the office.

She didn't knock, simply walked inside with purpose and pursed lips. Jack and kaylee had no choice btu to follow when Zoe was ina mood like this. The office itself was clean, organized, it's occupant a military man judging by the medals on the wall and the immaculate way he dressed. The office wasn't shining and fancy, it didn't have the cold gray feeling of the alliance; Jack had walked into the den of an old general.

"Allayne." A man was sitting behind the desk, a cigar resting in an ashtray beside him.

"General, I need to know about recent arrivals."

"I assume you're asking bout the same planet everyone else is," General grumbled. "Helion Septus hasn't had-"

"Septus got hit?" Jack interrupted. "When?"

"Young lady, if you interrupt you're very likely to miss vital information." He had a way of looking at her that made Jack feel very small and childish. "Helion Septus hasn't had any issue with the necromnogers. Some rumor's been flying around ever since Prime got hit." The general leaned forward on his elbows. "Most folk here got family in NeoDelhi."

Jack relaxed, but only barely.

"Lookin' for a ship from Hellion Prime," Zoe shook her head. "We got family, type of family good at getting out of tricky situations."

The general turned to look at his cortex. "You're in luck, got a ship come in this morning. Docked a few hours, left three people lighter than when it landed."

"Got an idea as to where those three went?" Zoe was standing like any soldier, arms behind her back as she waited patiently. The whole atmosphere had both younger women standing quiet and still.

"Don't imagine they'd gone anywhere but the mosque," General leaned back. "All I can tell you."

"Thank you sir." Zoe nodded, turning around.

"Thank you, very much," Jack nodded, following, heart in her throat. Three people...three people wasn't the four she'd left behind, it wasn't the four she'd been expecting. Kaylee chirped a goodbye as well, mentioning something about the general checking for aether filters on a couple of his docked ships, before following them out.

River blinked as Doo tried to climb onto the couch beside her, he'd been pacing by her feet, worried, but wishing to offer assistance or even just a paw to cry upon. He was a very smart boy, that was why River helped him up. He'd offered his paws to her three times now, knowing as only he could that she was not going to be lucid soon. Simon was fascinated by the reaction, wondering how a simple creature could know something like that. Doo wanted ask ask Simon something very similar.

It made her giggle.

The gray pup, crawled forward on his belly, tail wagging as he rolled onto his back and smiled up at her. Doo was here, for her. Nonjudgmental, not minding of her shivering or her growls. He just wanted to be beside her. To keep her safe when she couldn't keep herself safe.

"Thank you," she pet the soft fur. She could no longer keep him in her lap, he was getting too big now, but his head had room and it rest, heavy and comforting and warm. His breath ruffled the fabric of her dress, moisture spread through the fabric.

Doo could not chase the screams away, but he would try very hard to remind her they were far off.

Simon could only watch, helpless as his sister left the ship, body remaining, brain and heart still in front of him, but her mind was gone for now. She'd certainly improved since they joined the crew. Jack had a sort of fierce protectiveness he'd seen in only one person before. She'd understood right away what had taken Simon months; sometimes, a person just needed to be left alone.

Mal was rather protective of River as well, and Zoe to a point. It was Inara and Jack who put up the biggest fights regarding River and her care. Inara often hid his sister in her shuttle, smiling at him as she claimed not knowing. It upset him at first. It continued happening though, and once, he was struck by a memory of his days at Medacad, when he and his fraternity brothers had helped a fellow hide from his terrifying ex.

River had sister's now, and the sorority of Serenity was something he didn't dare try to demand things from. They were all four quite intimidating.

"Simon, I see our Doo is doing his best to help."

Simon turned to face Book, smiling as he did so. Book was a grandfather Simon had always hoped to meet one day. It was a bit late, but Book was there now. Someone Simon could run to for advice, his own father was less than helpful, and Grandmother had not once mentioned his grandfather's name. He had a suspicion about why.

"Doo had been good for her, the whole ship really." Simon glanced back at the two pups for a moment before following Book to the mess. "He just knows, he'll lead her away if she's around too many people, sometimes he'll bring her his dinosaur."

Book laughed with him at the memory. They'd been sitting at dinner last night, River beginning to rock ever so gently as Jack shifted her knife away from her. Everyone had been waiting with baited breath. A high pitched squeak broke the tense silence as Doo put his paws on River's lap, dropping a bright yellow, saliva covered stegosaurus onto her lap. The mood had lightened, River picking up the toy and kissing Doo on the nose before giving him a piece of her chicken flavored protein.

"The dog has been our caregiver and friend for many centuries," Book smiled, pouring himself a cup of tea. "Perhaps God sent him to us, to do what we could not."

"At this point, I'm willing to have some faith," Simon nodded. "I hear Inara is planning to attend a ball tonight. I haven't been to one of those in almost two years."

"Did you enjoy them?" Book asked as the conversation turned to lighter things.

"They were...well, there was always this one girl, this one kind of girl there, really..." Simon paused, looking at the shepherd.

"I was a young man myself once," Book laughed. "We all start as something different."

Simon nodded before continuing his story.

The Islamic neighborhood of Persephone was much different from New Mecca. The women were more independent, domestic disputes pouring into the streets and a goodly bit of skin showing as men called to them. The smells were the same though. Hot cardamom and turmeric and the smells of home hit Jack with more force than she'd expected. Smells she might never know again. The heaviness that settled on her being was echoed in Zoe's, and now that Jack could see deeper, she could see it in the faces of the people around her. Everyone had felt the blow. Older women she hadn't seen before were weeping silently as they sat in front of coffee shops. Grandfather's were sitting sorrowful across from their sons and watching life with new eyes.

"Up there," Jack pointed. Everyone could see the bright gold dome.

Zoe added a bit of speed, face set.

"Cover your hair," Jack handed Kaylee a piece of linen once they reached the mosque.

Zoe was already putting her scarf on. An attendant had taken her gun already, waiting patiently for Jack and Kaylee to follow suit. Kaylee nodded; Jack could see the questions burning her tongue. Once Jack had handed over Ghost and Emmaline, and Kaylee shrugged, pulling a heavy wrench from her boot, they were allowed into the outer section of the mosque.

Both of the brunette women looked around for a familiar face, Kaylee standing by and studying the grand building in wonder.

"Zisa," Jack breathed, moving towards a little girl she knew well. Zoe followed her, pulling Kaylee along over towards the little girl.

Zisa was pulling on a woman's sleeve, speaking before pointing to Jack. The woman lifted her head, eyes widening as she rose to meet not Jack, but Zoe. Moments passed, low and lyrical speech going back and forth between the four of them, assuring and soft, sorrowful and joyous as they made sure each was truly alive. It was Kaylee who asked what was going on, knowing only manadarin and English. Zoe laughed at her question as Jack held Zisa on her hip.

"Kaylee, this is my sister, Matea." Zoe leaned over to peek at Zisa. "And I'm going to assume this is my niece."

"Small verse," Kaylee beamed. "Families everywhere we go. But where's-"

"Perhaps coffee?" Matea cut with off with a look. Her eyes darted over to an attendant. He'd been watching them for some time. "We can discuss our missing dog somewhere a bit more private."

An coffee shop was something Jack genuinely missed. Not the core style shops, the cafe's and the Starbucks of the universe, but some place dimly lit, smokey from hookah and filled with laughter and disagreement. They were in the women's section of the shop, the clean sunlight and warm breeze blowing across their faces as they sat in the courtyard. Zisa had moved to her mother's lap, talking animatedly with Zoe while Kaylee continued to take everything in. She'd never known much more than the asian style bars Mal took them too and the honky tonks she ventured in when they were dirtside.

"How did you guys get out?" Jack asked as she sipped at her coffee.

"Richard was kind enough to guide us," Matea smiled. Her face fell a moment. "Imam has been in the temple since we arrived, seeking redemption for the lives he took to secure our escape."

"War was supposed to be over," Zoe spoke softly.

"War is never over," Matea shook her head. "I have tried to tell him many times."

"You guys stayin' round here?" Kaylee asked. The caffeine had gone straight to her bloodstream, she was bouncing and humming. Jack was surprised it had taken her this long to speak.

"We are considering it," Matea nodded. "It is the largest Crislam population in this sector. Though work is harder to come by." Kaylee and Zisa were chatting now. "I do not want her to grow up in this place either."

"Seen worse places," Jack pointed out. "Speaking of worse things, where's our big bad?"

"Richard disappeared after we landed," Matea apologized. "Though I suspect Mr. Toombs may have had a hand in that."

Jack nodded, strangely happy with the fact that he was safe. The idea of prison being safe was also odd, and her relief that him being in prison. She leaned back in her seat, eyes drifting to the sky above her as Zoe and Matea began speaking once more. They shared their lives, Zoe didn't know her sister had married Imam, just as Matea had no idea her sister's last name had changed. Kaylee and Zisa were chirping back and forth, playing a clapping game and singing. It was nice. Inara's presence might have made things nice too, and River could have tagged along, but no. Inara was dealing with Aetherton tonight, cleansing herself before she practiced and River had been closely monitored by Doo for the last three days. Next time.

The conversation only broke when a waitress walked into the courtyard, leaning forward to tell Matea that her husband had come to fetch her.

He looked different Jack realized as she followed Matea out. There were circles under his eyes she'd not seen before, his face was a bit harder and he carried himself as Zoe or Cap'n Dad did after a bad night.

"Jack," Imam smiled at her. "Or is it Kyra now?"

"Depends which planet I'm on," she smiled, hugging him.

"Made a bit of a name under Mal's leadership," Zoe spoke, smiling, from behind her. "Imam, it's been a long time."

"Zoe," Imam smiled, faintly surprised. "Now I must know what I missed."

"Come on board," Kaylee piped up. Zisa was in her arms, playing with the bright copper hair. "You can see Mal, visit, we're on land for at least two more days."

"It's good plan," Jack agreed. "I have a party to go to tonight, I'd like to have a real visit before we take off." As if to prove her point, Jack's comm went off. Inara was starting to get ready and Jack needed to get her skinny pi guh back to the ship if she planned to bathe before they left. It was always funny to hear Inara curse.

Jack wasn't a big fan of Aetherton Wing. She never had been. He was smarmy, cocky, and so uncaring it made her want to punch him. But she didn't because that would give Inara a bad name. And because he might have her bound by law and really, she didn't want to go to prison for breaking some prissy damagh nose. So she stayed silent, walking behind Inara as Aetherton's own man walked behind him. The dress she was wearing matched Inara's own, but where he sister's was wispy and suited to Olympus, Jack felt more like one of these Persephone belles. Which made sense, Inara was the one grabbing all of the attention because that was what she was supposed to do.

"I'll see you on the floor," Inara leaned over to kiss Jack on the cheek. The porter was to announce them.

"Of course," Jack responded in kind.

It was as they walked down the servants stairs that Jack was informed of something faintly disturbing. Butler, Aetherton's man, decided to share that Kyra might be in for a change in occupation.

"I beg pardon?" Kyra asked, walking onto the floor from behind a heavy tapestry. They hid the comings and goings of those who weren't official guests.

"Mr. Wing plans to take Miss Serra on as his personal companion," Butler clarified. "I suspect you'll have to find another mistress to serve." He winked at her. "Or mayhap move on to become an official companion."

"She's my sister," Jack pursed her lips. "My birth sister, and I am her secretary, not a companion in training."

"My apologies," Butler nodded his head. That was another thing that pissed her off about this crowd, even the hired help was a bunch of assholes. He wasn't sorry and Butler still wanted up her skirt. "I don't doubt you'd make a very fine one if you chose to follow in the family business."

"I do doubt the level of your intelligence," Jack spoke coldly. "I would suggest you find someone else to speak to. Now."

Butler raised his hands, still smiling at her as he walked towards a group of others like himself. A Gentleman's gentleman her foot. She'd missed Inara's announcement too. Never mind. She could see someone familiar standing by the buffet table. Small and rather skittish around large groups, his blonde date was smiling politely at everyone, curtsying and dancing with those who asked.

"Mr. U," Jack smiled as she approached the man. "Or is it Lord Ungles tonight?"

"Unfortunately," her grumbled. "My dad threatened to cut me off if I didn't come. I don't need it of course but it's the principle of the thing."

Jack had to grin as his 'wife' was returned to him by a rather portly businessman.

"Lenore, it's lovely to see you."

"You as well Miss Serra," the robotic woman smiled. "I am very sorry for your loss."

"My family got off safely," Jack replied, still bemused by the fact she could have a decent conversation with an AI. "Don't suppose you know where some of them got to."

"Of course I do," Mr. U waved his hand at her. "But so do those necros. They have something against everyone's favorite convict, can't imagine what, but they've been stationed on New Mec for almost a three days now."

"Highly unusual for the necromongers," Lenore nodded.

"Necromongers are, in and of themselves, highly unusual Miss Lenore."

Jack turned to see a rather stocky man approaching them. He was older, the type of man too old and too annoyed by ball's to enjoy them any longer. He was there, he'd put on pants, what more did a person want.

"Harrow!" Mr. U grinned, handing his plate to Lenore to shake the man's hand. He took his plate up almost as soon as their hands released.

"Ungles, I surprised to see you off of your moon," the elder man smiled. He turned to Jack then, still smiling, but judging this time, testing to see if she deserved respect. "And you would be?"

"Kyra Serra," she extended her hand to shake. "Most everyone calls me Jack."

"Ah, and what sort of business are you in?" that testing tone was back.

"Tonight I'm a secretary," she answered carefully. "Most other days I'm involved in shipping."

Harrow nodded approvingly. "I happen to be in need of some shipping myself." Harrow took a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter. "If you're the one who...introduced him to Lenore, well, I'm sure you're very adept at keeping things under the radar."

"It's something of a specialty," Jack nodded. "I can-"

The announcement of the next guest stopped Jack in her speech, turning to see something bright pink and fluffy standing at the top of the stairs. Kaylee was bright and shining in her new pink dress, the same monstrosity she'd been staring at in the window earlier. Mal was next to her, incredibly stiff and looking for all the world as though he'd rather be someplace else. They'd fit right in.

"I do believe that's your captain," Mr. U patted Jack on the shoulder.

"Cap'n dad," Jack nodded. "If you'll excuse me Mr. Harrow."

"Captain calling?" Harrow asked.

"No, but Kaylee needs to be rescued from Captain grumpy," Jack smiled.

"Go then," Harrow waved her off. "We have all night to iron out the details."

Kyra smiled at him, reaching on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek before moving to go find Kaylee. She was in a light mood tonight, and despite some unhappy events earlier, finding out her family was alive made her quite happy. Having people she could actually talk to made her quite happy as well. Kaylee was still talking to Mal when she approached, eyes taking in everything as Mal glowered about the room.

"Miss Fry, you are looking exceptionally pink tonight."

"Jack!" Kaylee released the captain's arm, grinning as she hugged her. "I can't believe you get to go to these things all the time."

"Not all the time, sometimes I'm slaving away for that ba wong," Jack tilted her head at Mal. "Dare I ask?"

"This ba wong managed to get us a job," Mal grumbled, moving aside as a duo passed them. "Need to find our contact first."

"That him?" Kaylee asked, pointing to the place Jack had just left.

"That's the buffet table," Mal's lips pulled into a line.

"And the mangoes are in dire need of questioning," Jack pointed out, grinning. "C'mon Cap'n Dad, been living off protein for four months straight."

"Don't make yourselves sick," Mal relented. "I'll meet with you two after a turn about the room."

"C'mon Kaylee, I'd like to introduce you to someone."

~!~

He was gone. The growling prowling shadow was gone, locked in fire and darkness with those unfit souls. Gone gone away, far away from her and she.

Doo's wet nose touched the back of her knee.

"She is fine, he is caged. Safe from death for now, he will be back though." He always escaped his cage, this was known. He would show her how to escape cages when he came to see her. He would come to her and she and they would talk. They would play and whisper in the night, nights full of peppermint. 

They were quiet as they entered the kitchen. Claws pulled back to prevent the tic tack of footsteps. Ge-ge and grandfather and sister's man were trading off chores. Book would be without duties for the next trideca cycle. He would still come in and help, always seeking purpose and use, he'd been used and busy for his entire life, being without made him antsy. It made him sad.

~!~

"I'm trying to offer you something you know. A life."

"Atherton," Inara had heard this speech many times, from many different clients. Had she wanted to, she would have accepted long before, but she had a life. And it was hers for however long it might be.

"You can live here on Persephone, as my personal companion."

"You are a generous man," Inara settled on. Generous and confident, very close to cocky.

"That is not a yes." He was approaching dangerous now as well.

"It's not a no either," Inara shook her head. As they danced past another couple, she complimented the woman, an older woman. Mature and carrying a beauty within her few could, she was graceful and full of life.

"You belong here Inara. Not on that flying piece of go se."

"Please mind your language," she tried not to scowl. She had been hoping to avoid such crass language, even if only for one night.

"What? Go se? But it is."

"Atherton, this is something I would have to discuss with my sister."

"Why would you need to discuss it with her?" he asked, reversing their motion across the floor. "I'm sure she'd be fine with you moving off of the ship."

Inara almost stopped moving. He didn't just expect her to leave her life, he expected her to leave Kyra on what he'd deemed to be a junker of a ship. He really did need to stick to bedroom talk. His brain obviously wasn't working very well. She opened her mouth to reiterate her decision, but it was rather useless. He was distracted by someone talking to a lord, a 'scruffy sort' of man Inara knew to be the captain of Serenity. This night had gotten progressively worse.

"Where's the old man?" Jack asked as she and Kaylee returned to Mr. U and Lenore.

"Well hey there Mr. U, pretty fancy isn't it?"

Mr. U smiled at her, admitting that the whole place was indeed pretty fancy. Lenore took Kaylee's attention, suggesting various items she might taste while Jack focused on securing the job.

"Uncle Warrick went to go talk to someone about some such thing." Mr. U waved his hand dismissively. "He likes you, you know that right?"

"Why's that?" Jack reached over to grab something from Kaylee's plate.

"You're willing to set business to the side. He said you had your priorities straightened out as few people did." Mr. U adjusted his posture and voice, miming his godfather. "Money comes and goes, but friends and family are forever."

Jack let a snort out, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried not to laugh too hard. It was perfect, she could in fact hear Mr. U sounding like Warrick once he got older. Lenore let out a polite laugh as well; her laugh had changed sine last Jack saw her. It had taken on a deeper sound. The sound of Lenore's laugh was lost on her as Mr. U continued to mimic his uncle, Kaylee had joined in the giggling and all was going rather well until a shout and a hush fell across the crowd.

Both girls, man, and bot turned to see someone on the ground, and for just a minute Jack wondered if Jayne had gotten into another fistfight. Until she remembered that Jayne was still on the ship. Mal however was not and the man standing up was her sister's client.

The younger Serra pushed her way through the crowd to stand by her sister's side, catching the tail end of the situation. Inara took her hand gratefully as Kyra came to stand beside her, face pale as a whole event unfolded around them.

"I hope you're prepared, Captain." Kyra really didn't like the way Aetherton spoke. Sneering at everything and everyone who didn't benefit him in some way. The crowd was murmuring with excitement, whispering and shushing one another.

Cap'n Dad obviously didn't understand just what he'd done. He rarely did, but if it hadn't been for Inara's lessons, Jack wouldn't' have known either.

"What?" Mal asked, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth as a fire lit up his eyes. "You all talking about a fight? That's just fine by me." Her removed his jacket, a very nice jacket Kyra hadn't known him to wear a once. She hadn't known he owned anything nice. "Let's get out of here, under the stars."

"Not a fistfight," Jack shook her head, moving to take his jacket from his arms. "Abn elghbeh dad."

"The duel will be met tomorrow morning at Cadrie Pond," someone at the edge of the circle decided. Butler, Atherton's man. His winking only served to piss her off.

"Why wait that long?" Mal asked, his jaw was set and that grin was gone. Whatever had happened was enough to have put him on a real sharp edge. "Where's the guard, collected a whole mess of pistols."

"It's a swordfight," Jack hissed as Butler politely asked the crowd for the loan of a sword. She could see Harrow coming towards them, volunteering his sword for the duel. "You got yourself into a swashbuckling swordfight."

"A what?"

Inyego would win.

"Did you say something dear?"

River turned to look at Grandfather. He was sitting beside her on the couch, smiling. He knew that she couldn't always keep the insides in. She could once. Once long ago and he knew that once she'd been leak free, but he didn't know the girl of before. He only knew the girl now, and he wanted the now to be happy.

"Swordsman of Spain, fictional, you killed my father-"

"Prepare to die," Book grinned. "Did you ever read the book?"

"Negative, the girl was exposed to restructured visual feeds."

"I have a copy amongst my things," Book smiled. "It's quite funny, and more than a bit ridiculous at times."

"Hairdressers existed within the walls of Eden." Book nodded, a little perplexed, but happy to talk with her. Happy he could help her be happy, even if her book wasn't his book. "She would much appreciate the opportunity to read it."

"I'll go get it then," Book nodded, rising slowly.

His bones were aching, age was catching up to him and the cold of the ship pushed him closer. He left the common room, but he would not leave the ship for some time. Not until his bones demanded they truly stop. Grandfather was there for her, even when he wasn't sure where she stood. He was listening to her, perhaps not comprehending, but listening and trying.

Grandmother would have liked him. The girl wondered for a moment, how different would she have been had Grandmother found Grandfather. Would her skin be darker, her face more angular?

"Two sets," River found herself saying. Two sets to make one set to make one. Condensing down, further and further, on and on, two and one and one. Grandmother and Grandfather were each their own set.

The thick and throaty laughter of the Holy Man echoed up from the hold. Elder Sister had found her younger sister and the Holy Man and their Zisa. The ship was full of joy and relief. It was light and it raised her up that she might touch the stars without ever moving. The joy she rode upon tickled the Spirits, let down walls she hadn't put up and for a few moments, she could hear an echo. An echo of her grandmother's love, floating through the black to find her. The echo of the jungles and sand she'd known long ago, knew now through Sister, stronger, fresher.

Grandfather returned, happy as the rest.

He would enjoy jungles and sand. His bones would sing for it.

"Would you mind terribly if I read to you?" Book asked. He was shy, embarrassed. Sensitive and scared as all men were. It was known.

"The girl would enjoy it."

~!~

"What's goin' on?" Kaylee asked, finally pushing forward to join them, the party was dispersing, folks going home to share the scandal they'd just heard. Harrow had joined them, Mr. U and Lenore slightly behind him as they spoke in some language Jack could barely place.

"I'm not rightly sure," Mal shook his head. "Jack's sayin' something about swordfights."

"First off, the girl isn't just talking," Harrow spoke up. Jack could see him measuring. Testing again and finding them satisfactory. The deal was good. "You'll be put up in lodgings for the night to make sure you don't disappear." Harrow set his thumbs into his belt loops; Mr. U was miming him a few feet away. "I wouldn't' blame you incidentally. Wing may be a spoiled ponce, but he's quite the swordsman as well."

"This has got to be a joke," Mal groaned, reaching up pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Afraid not my boy," Harrow shook his head. Mr. U was still miming his uncle, facial features making Kaylee bury her face into Jack;s shoulder. "The joke, sadly, is that you're the only one who gave him a worthwhile reason."

~!~

Jack stormed into the hold of Serenity, fury and fire in her veins at the complete idiocy of the people on board her boat. If Cap'n Dad didn't win this it would be her boat, and that was not something she was looking forward to. She wasn't ready, she still needed her family. Up the grated stairs and into the mess, Jack ignored the stares and silence she'd thrown on everyone like a blanket.

"Kyra!"

Jayne's shout caused her to pause in the doorway.

"Thought you were gonna bring me back somethin'."

It was enough to make her laugh, a sad, irritated laugh that did encourage her to take a deep, calming breath.

"Mal got himself caught up in a duel," she sighed, moving back down the steel steps. "Inara is being blackmailed into staying on Persephone, and now I have to plot our course for our new buyer on top of finding someone on this ball of dirt who knows how to wield a sword."

"You'll look very pretty doing it," Wash piped up from beside his wife. "The belle of the smuggling ball."

Now that she'd released her frustration, Jack realized she'd come back in her gown, hair still pulled back and surprisingly free of dirt. The aura of rage must have scared everyone and everything away. The kitchen table was full of people, Book and River absent from them, curious really, but it was still full of people. Her folks, and Zoe's folks, from New Mecca and Jayne was sitting next to Wash. Zoe sitting between her husband and sister.

"Thank you," Jack nodded, smiling slightly as she let herself relax.

"Indeed, I would doubt you were the same girl I met all those years ago," Imam smiled. "Perhaps you might show me where our fearless leader is. I will teach him what I can."

"Sniper, priest, and swordsman," Zoe's brow raised. She turned to her sister. "I think you won."

"Hey now!" Wash argued. "I'm a pilot, an amazing dinosaur, and a champion goose juggler."

Zoe turned to her sister, both women sharing a private laugh. Jack however was grateful that Imam would try to save Mal's life once more. Indeed, he was standing, waiting for her to either tell him where to go or lead him towards the captain.

"Let me change," Jack nodded. "I gotta go ask Riv something too."

"Girl and Book been holed up in the bridge, reading about true love and buttercups." Jayne was still looking at her, eyes a bit dreamy and a lot fiery. "You hurry back, got words."

"Yeah, go get the ATV prepped for me?" she asked as she climbed back towards the bridge. "Mal's got me doing Captain things and Riv's the only one on board who knows how to get me out of this thing without tearing it."

Mal scowled at the piece of metal in his hands. The core seemed to have this bizarre idea that the rim planets were barbaric. The civilized world just liked to hack each other to bits over what should have been common sense. The sword was odd in his hands. Harrow liked them curved, too much time on Moscow he'd explained. Lords and nobles certainly had a strange way of doin' business.

He swung the sword experimentally. Wasn't too hard, not nearly as have as it could have been.

Mal?"

He couldn't help the noise that erupted from his throat. Nor could he help when the sword had lodged itself into a pillar. There she was, the woman of the evening and quite possibly the woman he was going to get himself killed over. She was just standing there, clad in a robe he hadn't seen her wear a once before. It was too much. Not too much cloth, but it was too much for her. Too elaborate. It took away from what made her beautiful.

"Slipped," he pulled himself together. "What are you doing here?"

"Atherton is always a heavy sleeper before a big day," she shook her head. She was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was bitter, sad. It was even a bit angry. "Killing to do in the morning and a hair cut at noon."

Her joke wasn't terribly funny.

"Real comfort, having friends at a time like this." Comfort would have been holding her in his arms, back on his ship and sailing through the black like they were supposed to. Comfort would have been giving not just one Serra woman his name, but two. A whole Reynolds family.

"I knew the accommodations would be nice," Inara spoke. She wanted to say something else, her body was wound up too tight, a little wrinkle appearing by her eyebrow; it always showed up when she was concerned about something. "Atherton doesn't skimp."

Mal snorted at the man's name and pulled his sword from the pillar. She was using that core bred pansy like a shield.

"I don't suppose I like being kept by him as much as some," he hefted the sword again, trying to figure the damn thing out. It rally shouldn't be so hard. You just stuck them with the pointy end. "So how come you're still attached to him?"

"Because it's my decision, not your," she nearly snapped.

"Yours?" Mal asked. "And what about your sister huh? Atherton's man is a bit chatty, and so is Jackie for that matter. Man ain't got no regard for your sister and he's got even less for you."

"You managed to push him into saying something," Inara admitted. She wasn't happy about admitting that, not in the least. "Made a nice justification for the punch."

She wasn't admitting to a damn thing. She wasn't even admitting that Jack mattered in this choice at all.

"Well, he insulted you, I hit him. Seemed like the thing to do."

"Of course you would think that." Mal made an unmanly noise for the second time that night as a booming voice echoed into his room. An older black man was standing in front of Jack, robes billowing around him as his turban stood bright atop his head. "It seems I am saving you life quite often Malcolm."

"Ain't a pistol duel Imam," Mal smiled. "Glad to see you made it out."

"Miss Jack has explained the particulars," Imam nodded with a smile. He brought a sword from within the folds of his robes and crouched into a stance. "You did use your combat knife, yes?"

Mal scowled. Imam knew damn well his knife had seen use. He was damn good with his knife, but a sword...

"Sword's just a big knife ain't it?" Mal asked, a comprehension coming over his features.

"You can't be serious!"

Mal turned when Inara shrieked. She looked genuinely scared now, clutching her robe tight between her fingers. He didn't like fear on her face any more than he liked that poncy bastard grabbing her or Jack bunking down with Jayne.

"Mal doesn't run from fights Inara," Jack pointed out. She'd changed from her gown into something more befitting his crew and ship. Her brown coat was hanging off of one arm, Ghost on her hip. She'd make a fine captain, specially if Zoe stuck around.

"Yes, he does," Inara shook her head. "He runs, you run all the time!"

"Miss Serra, if you continue to shout, you will awaken the guards," Imam wagged his finger at her. "Jack brought me here to make sure Mal's idiocy does not get him killed."

"Jack also needs to go kick Badger off of what might end up being her ship come noon tomorrow." The girl in question pushed herself off of the wall she'd been leaning against. "He's got everyone at gun point, barely let me and Imam go."

"Go on then," Mal adjusted his stance. Sword was just a big knife. He'd be damned if Badger took his boat.

~!~

Jack walked back onto the ship, completely ignoring Badger and his men.

"Matea, you head on up to the other shuttle," Jack rubbed her temples. "The bed is made up and waiting. Cortex is up too if you have anyone you want to contact or Zisa wants to watch a movie."

"Hey now!" Badgr had come over, gun cocked and a man look on his face. "You aren't giving orders on this boat love."

"Will you let me get my people to bed?" Jack snapped. "She's five, her mother's only ever held a kitchen knife." Badger wasn't pleased, he opened his mouth to say as much. Jack was not in any mood to listen to him though. "Jesus, Mary, and Mohammad, if Mal dies you'll be dealing with me. Not Zoe or Jayne, Me. And I made the deal with Harrow a long time before Mal even set foot in that shindig. Not get the fuck off of my boat."

In the time she'd been yelling at Badger, Jayne had managed to grab the gun from the back of her pants. Four quick shots, his disarming special, had each of their guns on the ground, Ghost smoking as Zoe caught a rifle from the catwalk. River was standing there, smiling through a pout. She must have had some sort of plan.

"Leave the guns," she shouted as one went to bend. "You'll get them back in the morning. In fact, we're keeping that one." Jack pointed at one of Badger's men. "He can take all your guns back once Mal gets on board."

The cock of no less than three guns had Badger backing out, several of his men following suit, lifting their hands even as they backed away.

"Shall I tie our hostage?" Zoe asked, stony face. Her eyes were dancing with amusement. The face must have been very hard to keep up.

"Jayne, keep him in your sights," Jack nodded. "Wash, help me get this bullshit taken care of. Atherton Wing made the wrong kind of enemy tonight."

She was uploading a virus onto Atherton's mainframe when Jayne came onto the bridge. Wash had backed out almost an hour ago, fearful of the look on her face and the stream of curses coming from her mouth. Her battle song he'd joked before darting off to the safety of his wife. Jayne leaned on the back of her chair, watching as she set everything into motion.

"Not a person in the 'verse blackmail's a Serra and gets away with it," she grumbled, hitting the last key. The virus was something rather clever. She'd set it up so in two weeks time, Atherton Wing would be under investigation for embezzlement. He already was guilty of the crime, but he'd been running a small time protection gig rather than outright stealing from his family's weapon company. He was just so impatient; no one would even question it.

"I ever tell you how sexy you get when you start barkin' orders," Jayne put his lips to her ear. "Hellfire and fury all 'cross your face." his lips began to travel along her neck. "Think I might be willin' to rethink our bed rules."

Jack was just fired up enough to have that discussion.

~!~

Zoe went with Jack to Cadrie pond the next day. River as well; she was tired of being left out. Tired of missing the fun parts of their adventure. Fun, watching the closest thing to a dad die over her sister was fun. Jesus, why couldn't they just act like grown ups? Why did they have to stand across from each other with glorified knives and almost a dozen spectators?

"They would see what they have lost," River leaned against Jack's shoulder. The stipulation of River joining involved wearing one of Inara's veils. It ended with both of them covering their faces. "They see the code they have forgotten."

"It's only backing up what they found," Jack shook her head. "Honor gets you killed."

"Imam won't let him die," Zoe shook her head. "He still owes him fifty platinum."

Jack had to snort at that. Sure enough, Imam had taken Harrow's place as Mal's second. When the black man had announced his intentions moments ago, Atherton's face had gone pale. The Islamic sector trained it's sons in swordplay from the time they could hold a sword. Station didn't matter, you learned, you enlisted, you continued your training until you died.

Even if Mal died, Atherton probably would too. It wouldn't bring Mal back, but it sure would be a dose of karma.

Inara moved to stand beside them, absently adjusting River's veil as she kept her eyes on Mal.

"He comes out of this alive, I want you to do something," Jack spoke, watching as the two men took their places. Inara made a noise, chewing her lip as the rules were explained. "I want you to sign that resignation form you requested two months ago."

Inara tore her eyes from the scene before her, staring at Jack before Mal summoned her attention again. Imam's advice had worked, not to say he was winning, but he was genuinely holding his own once he was on familiar ground. Zoe was moving to stand beside Imam, face stony as the battles of the past emerged.

"The wind is enraged," River whispered, leaning into Jack. "He will scream and shout, he will strip her of her jewels and throw her into the dust."

"Come on Inara," Jack hissed. "You left them open on the table. You wanted me to know even you don't know you did."

It was once Atherton had Mal on his knees that Inara finally shouted. The poncey core-bred was raising his sword, ready to remove Mal's head from his shoulders when Inara's words distracted him.

"Wait!" Inara pulled away from Jack, stepping forward to look the man in the eyes. Everyone was looking at her, except for River and Mal. The soldier was waking up in Mal, the man who'd been knee deep in blood for weeks on end. The man who was almost an animal.

"I'll stay here, exclusive to you, please, just let him live."

Those words, so close to a declaration caused Mal to snap back into the fight. His sword, while broken, was so much closer to the combat knife he'd known for years. Hard and jagged, like the man he'd become. Jack watched with River as Mal surged up, blade cutting into Atherton's wrist and making him drop his sword. The broken blade found it's next home in Atheton's chest, just to the right of his heart, just missing a clean kill.

River's grip on her arm had tightened, fear was in her very stance. Jack reached over, pulling her a bit closer.

"It's okay khahar," Jack whispered. "None of us are going anywhere."

"Daddy keeps us safe," River whispered.

"He does."

Inara was the one who walked over to Mal, helping him to stay upright. There was a look in her eyes now, full of determination and admittance. She was going to sign those papers.

Atherton however didn't seem to see the beauty in this moment, instead preferring to shatter it with his words.

"Inara. Inara!"

"You've lost her lad," Harrow harrumphed, picking up his broken blade.

"Graciousness is never frowned upon by Allah," Imam agreed as he moved to help Inara with Mal's weight. She was trying, lord knew she was trying, but Inara wasn't the strongest woman, and Mal was a pretty big guy. She gave Imam a thankful look as he took Mal's weight from her.

"You set this up, whore," Atherton continued to ramble. The pain must have taken his filter away, that or he was the madar ghabeh Jack always knew he was.

"The second is accurate," River whispered. She looked at Jack through the guaze of her veil. "The girl is learning."

"First thing I learned too," Jack shrugged as she began to move River towards the mule.

Zoe had already started the vehicle up, watching through dark eyes as Inara explained just what she was going to do to Atherton. She was going to black mark him. Black marks were a very serious offense, not only spanning through the companions guild, but sent out to every two-bit, gilded brothel in the verse. Every matchmaker and holy man would see it, every judge who'd ever seen a companion. He'd be alone for the rest of his life. Not many knew the depth to which the Companions Guild ruled.

"Secrets and lies, sweet smelling order birthed from chaos," River whispered as Zoe helped her climb onto the mule. Inara was insistent upon helping Imam with Mal. "Butterflies of steel, battling the deep blue of the sun."

Jack wasn't entirely sure what that one meant. Harrow had come over and was now speaking to Mal.

"Truthfully I'd been somewhat doubtful as to your abilities," harrow harrumphed. "You girl, I knew I could trust her. But a man is willing to fight like that, if you're willing to fight for my property that hard...I'm rather glad I broke the deal with Miss Serra."

Mal blinked before extending his hand to Harrow. They shook, blood sticking their skin together.

"I'll have it in your hold by midnight."

When they reached the ship, Inara insisted once more upon helping Mal. It was wordless, nothing more than Inara reaching him first, taking initiative before Imam or Zoe could act. Not that they'd intended to. Jack hopped out from the back, all too intent on getting some real sleep, before spotting the illustrious Badger.

"He does not shine," River stared at Jack.

"Sarcasm," Jack reminded her. "Like saying he's ever so welcome."

"Captain, I was wondering when you were going to show up." Badger stood from his spot, looking disgruntled and slimier than ever. "You get a deal then?"

Mal looked at him, still riding an adrenaline high as his fist flew out.

"Jackie, you go make nice with Mr. U. Persephone's bad for the crew's health." Inara helped Mal to sit as Simon rushed back with his bag. Badger's men were taking their boss off of the ship, not looking forward to something worse. "Stabbings, honor get torn to shreds, jackie's limpin'." He turned hard eyes onto Jack and Jayne both. "Wash, get us the hell out of here."

"Must have been one hell of a party," Wash grinned as he moved to the bridge. Zoe followed, smirking slightly before she spoke in low tones.

~!~

Jack watched as Inara's brush slid across the parchment. She hadn't even reminded Inara of the demand she'd made. As soon as Mal was resting, she'd come into the shuttle, setting the papers on the table in between Jack's cortex and River's drawing. She hadn't even hesitated in between dipping her brush and taking her life back. It would make things harder for a while. Inara had no real skills to speak of, but she had more than enough doors she could open. Allies she could call on.

"I need you to send this for me," Inara slid the paper over. "The next planet with a decent clerk's office, I want you to send it off." There was a beat. "What?"

"We didn't think you'd do it," River deadpanned.

"Not ever," Kyra agreed.

Inara pursed her lips before swiping her brush across River's nose. The look on her face, the shock and utter disbelief was priceless. It was while Jack was snorting that her nose went just as black. Inara was the one laughing as she put her tools away, the parchment sitting innocently on the table top. River was rubbing at her nose, brows knitting together as the ink spread to her hands and across her skin.

"You just leave marks on everyone don't you?" Kyra asked, leaning over to pick a facial wipe from inara's desk. She went to River first; the psychic was becoming increasingly distressed over her situation. "You're really going to do this?"

"I am," Inara nodded as she came to sit beside them once more. She'd picked up a cleanser as well, taking River's face from Kyra and wiping gently. "I'm sorry Meimei, I didn't meant to alarm you."

"Black marks," River explained. "She does not wish to be alone."

She. She was all of them and none of them in that moment.

"No one is alone," Kyra settled on. "Truly."

Mal's frame appeared in the doorway of the shuttle, still pale, but looking much better than he had earlier in the day. His shirt was rumpled from sleep, hair sticking in directions he usually disliked. He was still in pain, but less than he would have been without the doctor.

"Imam and his family are takin' up residence in the other shuttle 'til we get someplace near New Melbourne." Mal walked further into the shuttle. "Matea's makin' dinner iffn' you girls feel like helping her out." Kyra and River both rose, understanding just what Mal was saying. "And don't think for one minute you're off the hook Jackie!"

Jack cringed as she ducked out, ignoring River's giggles and the mooing of Harrow's cows in their cargo hold.

~!~~!~!~!~!~!~

For those of you keeping up with Little One, a prologue if you will,

And you will

There's no set schedule on updates. I tend to write a new chapter after I've had a chat with my own grandma. So a new chapter tends to go up within 1-2 days after talking to Gramma. Sooner if I've visited her.

This story runs a bit differently. Because the chapters tend to be long, or as long as I can make them depending on the episode -still don't like Bushwhacked-, updates are dependent on my schedule. Finals are hitting -quite hard- and this will be the last update until Summer vacation. I do feel a bit cheeky for teasing you with Riddick though ^_^ Bait and Switch.

Khahar -Farsi - sister


	11. Safe and relatively Sound

Safe

It made for in interesting picture, River running through the halls, screaming and weeping, Simon following behind and Jack all but throwing punches at the doctor as she followed them through the halls as well. The murring sound of cattle was getting a bit louder, a bit more agitated as they dealt with the screaming and scrambling of the crew. She was without her boots today, as she often was, but she was also more unkempt than usual, lazy and very unwilling to redress or even crawl out of bed. Mal would have bet the entire profit in his hold that River wouldn't have moved if Simon hadn't come in.

"No!" River screamed. Angry, furious even as she kicked the couch. Adrenaline was high in her blood and the couch nearly took Simon down. "No, I don't want to go back..."

"It's okay," Simon assured raising his hands.

"Ain't going to be close to okay until you back the hell off," Jack interrupted.

"Will never be okay," River argued, there was a hand running through her hair, her muscles were tense and unwilling to move. "You can't just dig into me. Shoving needles into her eyes, demanding she tells him what she sees." she perched on the couch, hunching slightly as her knees pulled together. "Miracles and Max, they have ceased to laugh. The girl has gone."

"No needles Simon," Jack shifted slightly closer to River, seeing Inara look closely at River from the other side.

"Okay," Simon agreed, moving to shut the infirmary doors. "No shots, I'm just going to give you a smoother."

That was the exact wrong thing to say. River was throwing things again, standing up and aiming specifically for Simon's head as Mal took to standing in the doorway. Inara's eyes widened, not that anyone saw her reaction before moving closer, ammunition for River in one hand and a compassionate smile on her face.

"Oh sweetheart," Inara sighed as the final object was thrown. "Jack, go get the red bag. Simon, do something useful and get the chocolate from the mess hall."

"Now just hold on a gorram minute," Mal began.

"Mal, River is entering her Moon Time," Inara cut him off. She turned to River, opening her arms to the increasingly frustrated and now tearful girl. When the girl was crying into her sari, still cursing a storm, she continued. "In the four months she has been with us, this is her first bleed."

Simon looked simultaneously disturbed and revealed, stuck between moving closer to his sister to examine and running fearfully to the kitchen. He moved to the kitchen, opting for the chance to truly be useful. Mal on the other hand was skirting away from Jack as she reentered the room with the Red Box. There wasn't a man on board the ship who didn't know what was in that box. None of them were remotely comfortable with it around, often calling for one of the girls to move said box if it was in the way.

Zoe was following Jack down the steps, smiling lightly as she did so.

"Right, well then, I'll uh," Mal shifted as Kayle burst through, carrying the chocolate Simon had been sent for and presumably relieved of. "Now River, I understand, ain't got no right to demand anything. Be much obliged if mayhap you might be inclined to not spook the cattle."

Mal backed out of the infirmary, hand jerking out to grab Simon as he attempted to push his way through.

"She's about to have her first..."

"Womenfolk been knowing all bout their own business longer'n there's been medicine," Mal shook his head, closing the door to the medical bay.

"But the alliance, I'm her doctor..."

"Women folk. Got four women in there know a damn sight more than anyone what your sister is going through at the moment."

~!~

Zoe and Jack both had joined the boys to help corral the herd. Inara, unsuited to heavy labor and more than suited to compassion and education, had stayed on board with River. Kaylee was making a list of supplies they might possibly need. Including chocolate if at all possible.

"You know, you don't have to smack 'em around to get them to move." Jack was leading the horses, flinching every time she heard Jayne crack his whip.

"I like smackin' em," Jayne whipped another.

"And I like not being reminded of my time on Tauron," Jack slung a wad of dung at him. The wet slap of cow poop on his head all but echoed through the gathered group, even the cows falling silent for a half beat.

The fight only ended when a few wads 'accidentally' hit Simon. Jack hadn't been aiming for him, not really; at least, not so much as Jayne had been. But Zoe had been standing right there, ready and grinning as she eyed her husband coming towards the ramp. An easy enough excuse for well deserved punishment.

"Bout time you got some grit on ya," Jayne laughed, using a nearby heifer for cover. It was one of the few things around that could hide his body fully.

"Reckon you might pass for a Rim boy wearin' Sunday best," Mal agreed from his spot behind a nearby bull. The two they'd transported had been fenced off away from the rest.

Wash was grimacing as he pulled the wet dung from his hair, glint in his eyes before he spoke.

"Next time we smuggle stock, let's make it something smaller," he nodded. He was quick, Zoe didn't fully dodge and her shoulder was now quite greenish brown. "Start dealing in Black Market beagles, less inclined to sling the droppings at one another."

"Suddenly I'm reminded of how close man is to his simian cousins," Simon huffed. He was at a loss as to how he might rid himself of the slop without actually touching it. Finally, and with eyes closed, he slung it off of himself. And wiped his hand on Wash's shirt. "I think I improved it."

The laughter that followed was certainly something that they'd lacked in the past few days. A brief run back inside, two at a time so as not to leave the the herd unattended, Mal began to issue orders. Those who could wield a gun were to stay behind and help broke the deal. Wash and Kaylee were going on a supply run, Simon was to offer his services in town to those who might need it. Inara and River had already passed through and gone into town, as had Imam and his family; Mal hadn't even bothered to imply they might do anything they didn't want to. Simon nearly had.

"Captain Daddy is acting strangely," River grumbled as she walked beside Inara. "Cowed by that which he fears, fears that which is part of nature."

"All men fear women," Inara smiled at her as they entered the town. They stood out against the dust. A companion and her ward, colorful gems, veiled and hidden beneath a parasol. "I wish I could offer you more meimei."

"Willow bark derivative is adequate." She paused in her steps. "Something is watching. Want, take, have."

"It could be any one of the males around us," Inara hummed, glancing around surreptitiously. "It is in the nature of man and beast alike."

"Man and beast," River hummed, walking onto the boardwalk with the companion. "The Beast comes. Called out in the dark and trailed them."

"Kyra mentioned he was like that," Inara settled on as they entered a small shop. It hadn't taken very long to figure out who The Beast was. "We must find something comfortable for the time you are in." River paused just in the doorway, gaining Inara's attention. The wordless question echoed between them.

"She thought she was a girl. Thought she would always be a girl, not broken, but stuck." River stepped fully inside. "She is not stuck. She is not as they made her."

"No. She is more," Inara smiled.

~!~

Jack watched as the clients rode up on their horses. Certainly not locals. No doubt Jiangyin was little more than a meeting point. She couldn't imagine it being much more. A general store and an inn for those who made it before the meeting times. Judging from the look of these guys, they must have come at least one day before they'd arrived. There was something about them she recognized. Not that she'd lacked for examples of tattooed underlings in her life. She'd known oh too many stoic thugs in her life too. There was just something about them that made her nose itch.

Morning gentlemen," Mal stepped a bit closer. "You must be the Cain brothers. Hope you're in the mood for beeftsteak."

"Attractive animals ain't they?" Jayne rubbed the head of the closest bovine, grinning in a way Jack had only seen in what he considered 'fun' situations.

"T'ain't well fed," the elder shook his head, barely glancing at the animals. His tattoo's reached up to his ears, down his forearms and trailing down the backs of his hands. "Scrawny."

"Fei hua," Mal scoffed. "Milk and hay, three times a day, fed to 'em by beautiful women." He jerked his head at Jack and Zoe.

"They don't mean to eat them, not yet at least," Jack spoke up, leaning forward. "Ha'la'tha only seek out off planet beef if they're doing rites and need replacements." The younger of the Cane brothers looked at her with assessing eyes. "Spent some time on Tauron about ten years ago. Ship needed an emergency landing, they weren't expecting the cargo hold to be searched."

"Acathla," the elder Cain nodded. "The last slave ship to land on Tauron." He glanced over at the cattle, truly assessing them this time. "Big step, slave to gunhand."

"Captain's daughter," Mal corrected. "Now we got most of the posturing out of the way, what do you say we do our business?"

It was a troublesome thing, dealing with the Ha'la'tha. Particularly when Jayne was sticking his nose in and Mal kept sticking his foot in his mouth. It wasn't until Inara and River came back that any sort of agreement was made. Twenty-five a head if Mal and Jayne helped them to build a fire and re-brand the herd. Which of course the boys were all for, Jayne particularly seemed to enjoy handling cattle.

Jack nodded to the boys before walking into the ship. She had to know if River was going to be out of sorts while the cows were branded. And if River had started, that meant Zoe and Inara were following up soon and then Jack, followed by Kaylee. The ship's fans were spinning on high, Wash must have flipped them on before he left with Simon and Kaylee. The scent of bleach was wafting from a bucket on the catwalk and no few brooms were resting beside it.

For a pilot, Wash certainly enjoyed having all parts but his cockpit sparkling clean.

Her sister's were exactly where she expected them, River curling around a heating pad as Inara sat at her vanity. Jack sat down beside the younger, offering her sympathies and opening one of the chocolates for her.

"So, this mean you're going to wear your smallclothes from now on?" She teased. River's hand reached out for the chocolate. "First time is always terrifying, even if you know what it is and whats coming."

"The Beast is coming," River grumbled. "She did not wish to meet him huddled away in the dark. Neither did she desire to meet him in such a state."

Kyra opened her mouth only to have Inara answered the question. The whole ship must have been turning psychic.

"Apparently Mr. Riddick found out where we were heading," she closed her journal. All registered companions were required to record their journey. Once, Kyra had attempted to read it's contents; it was written in code, pictograms and glyphs only known by other companions. "He followed us through the market."

"Riddick? Where is he?"

"Following Simon." The grumble that came from River's lips was half a growl and half a sob. "Gege is foolish, trusting, doesn't know any better and the girl, the woman is not in a condition to seek him out."

Kyra had something that could help. At least in so far as moving around. Tiny white pills, muscle relaxers instead of the mental smoothers Simon insisted on trying to give everyone for everything. River's hand was reaching out before Kyra even reached for the bottle. She wanted out and off the ship as badly as the cattle had. She wanted to see Riddick almost as much as Jack did.

"Are you going to come with us?" Jack asked, slipping her boots back on. River sat in front of Inara, allowing the woman to put her hair up with the instructions to create three tiny braids. Odd, but if River wanted it...

"No, I have the feeling Mal is going to get in trouble before the night is over." She pulled River's curls up into a high tail. "He's going to need more than just a few people on the outside. Someone with sway and someone with the ability to fire a gun." Inara squeezed River's shoulder. "A reader wouldn't hurt either."

"Simon didn't bother to look for Inara to find you, did he?" Jack asked as they made their way through town. They'd been walking about for nearly a half hour now, meandering about and inspecting all the different geegaws and doodads in the shops. They'd stepped into a teashop a few minutes ago, leaving a large tip before exiting with two large iced teas.

"Negative, believes the girl is unaware of her location given the behavior she displayed earlier in the day."

"Still convinced you're a girl huh?" Jack poked her head around a building, eyes narrowing as she saw the party going on behind. The music had been echoing through town since they stepped foot inside, but hearing and seeing were two different things. "Wanna go check it out?"

"83.6 percent chance it will end better than the last party attended by the crew."

"Sounds good to me."

~!~

Jayne held the heifer still as the elder Cane pressed the new brand into the cow's flesh. The bulls had been marked almost immediately, Mal and the younger spraying a sort of chemical on the wounds to make them look old. This was the sort of honest work he'd been born into. Herding cattle on his daddy's ranch, branding and feeding 'em as they needed to be fed. His sister would be the one turning and branding while he and his Pa ran the cattle down the chute. Of course, Matty and Ma would be in the house filling out the papers. Depending on the day, an uncle or an aunt would come by, sometimes a cousin lookin' fer work. Cobb ranch was one of the only ones left on his home moon.

"You work well with the herd." Jayne looked over at Elder Cane.

"Grew up on a ranch," Jayne admitted. "Always been better with cattle'n people."

"The girl, the captain's daughter..."

"Engaged." Jayne cut him off. "Courted her for almost two years."

Elder Cane looked at him.

"She is one of ours. Perhaps not by birth, but the children of Acathla were ours for two years."

"Kyra seems to have friends all over," Jayne shook his head as he grabbed hold of the next bovine.

Jack turned when someone offered her a drink, ready to turn it down until she saw the hand holding it.

She didn't know she could make a sound that high pitched when Jayne wasn't around.

Riddick was smiling down at her, holding his own cup of something as goggles kept him free of pain. He looked cleaner than the last time she'd seen him, dressed in somewhat clean clothes and smelling more pleasant than he had on the ship they'd stolen to New Mecca. He looked older too. There were lines around his mouth that hadn't been there before. She hadn't really expected him to hug her back, maybe a pat on the head or something, but not a hug.

"How's Toombs?" she asked, taking a sip of the offered drink.

"Enjoying a cage on Cremetoria," he rumbled, moving his head to stare at the raised platform serving as a dancefloor.

Jack watched as River continued to dance. The barbituates may have been a little stronger than she remembered, but on the other hand, she was relaxed and having fun.

"I can't...who do you threaten?"

"Creepy little hacker, Mr. Universe."

Jack had to sigh. Of course he'd go to the best. It was what each of them did. She would have said more, but Riddick was darting up onto the dias, creating a circle around the collapsed River. Jack ran over as well, watching as the convict helped River to her feet and down to stand beside Jack. She was shaking, gripping tight to each of them as they tried to help her stand.

"Something must have spooked her," Jack muttered as they moved River to sit beneath a tree.

"Wasn't anyone up there," he grumbled, cast a look towards the dance-floor before looking back at River and Jack. "Smells terrified."

"Alright, we're going to go home now," Jack stood slowly, trying to pull the younger woman to her feet. "We gotta stand up."

"No, no, can't go home, home is not real, home is a prison." She'd backed up against the tree, holding her hair tight as she muttered to everyone and no one. "Bags over his head and steel at his back."

"We got enough time to gear up before your brother gets himself killed?"

"No, no killing, in need, need of healing hands and needles."

Jack nodded, standing up slowly only to see River dart off to the treeline. There was a half beat before Riddick was running off after her, leaving Jack behind in the middle of the dirt. They were both going to start doing that now, she just knew it. She also knew that she was going to need help if River's face and words were any judge. Rising from her place, she began the trek back through town to the ship. Oh, dad was going to be awfully angry. The only upside of the whole thing was knowing Simon wouldn't' be there to squawk at her too.

It was as she began walking back into the square she saw the colorful coral and turqouise Wash driving the quad through town. The damn thing was five minutes from breaking down; hopefully they could get a new one with today's deal. Then again, the look on Wash's face was decidedly sanguine.

"Jack!"

"Wash, we got trouble."

"Don't I know it...wait. Is your trouble different from our trouble?"

"Riv and I were at the party out back and Riddick showed up and...long story short, Simon got snatched up by someone between here and there."

"Lets get back, your trouble is linked to ours." Wash scooted forward and continued speaking. "Shepherd got himself bit by some lead pushing Kaylee out of the way."

"Allah, Mary, and Jesus, what happened?" The pilot turned them dramatically, causing both to lean to one side to keep from tipping. Yes, Jack was the terrible driver.

"According to the local smokies, the Ha'la'tha didn't get all their landing papers in order."

Jack snorted. Jiangyin didn't have a port, much less paperwork to fill out in order to drop anchor. It was more likely the sheriff had caught wind of illegal dealings and the only way he could pinch anyone was to get them on a traffic violation. Ha'la'tha weren't very trigger happy though, and most days, Mal would rather avoid a gunfight.

"Some greenhorn shot first didn't he?"

Wash nodded. "Now we have to get a rescue party out for our doctor before the shepherd bleeds out."

The quad revved up, tearing through the scrub oak and the brush. Dust was kicking up behind them but now wasn't a time to worry about leaving a trail. As the mech pulled into the bay, she could see Jayne helping the elder Cane bury a body. Imam stood with them, singing and praying. Two lawmen were standing around, rifles resting on their shoulders as they watched. Both had turned at Jack and Wash's arrival, one leering as the other watched with dead eyes.

Kaylee's eyes were red, her face going even paler when she saw those who'd returned. Inara too looked to be worried. Mal's jaw had fixed itself and Zoe's face had gone even stonier.

"Where's the doctor?" Kaylee stood. "Why ain't he with you?"

"Wasn't in town," Wash answered.

"Got snatched up by something," Jack answered, walking to the door of the bay. "Get in here, we need a tracker."

"Not by the law," Kaylee's words were questioning and firm at once.

"No," Wash shook his head. "I went by the office before I ran into Jack. We should have checked the domestic alerts along with the wanted boards. It seems some of the settlers in the hills have been taking people, tradesmen and the like."

"And now they got themselves a doctor." Mal waved Jack over from the weapons cabinet. Jayne was entering with Elder Cane, one looking for trouble and the other looking for a fight. "Seems we lost a few to snatchers, we'll help you get your brother to your ship. Wash, get us ready for the black."

Jack glanced back at the Cane, glad that Inara came to whisper in her ear. Apparently the sheriff had suffered a heart attack during the gunfight. One last hurrah before the man was forced into retirement. The posse had fallen apart, leaving only the deputy and jailer to watch his burial; neither of which seemed too keen on keeping them here.

"Inara, we can't leave River and them behind," Jack hissed as they climbed into their shuttle. Kaylee had left a shirt in here and the borrowed silks from earlier were piled up on the floor. All in all, the shuttle was a mess.

"No, we can't. Is there any way for you to keep us grounded?"

"Not here," Jack shook her head. "No landlocks, no system to hack into except our own."

"I see, maybe..."

Mal's voice called across the air; Jack was needed on the bridge to help find a doctor. She had a doctor for him...right inside her fist. Maybe it was worth it to take over the ship, lock dad up in his bunk. The ship was too quiet without the sound of River's song and Simon's constant hemming. The mood was dour and cold with the shepherd dying on the exam table and the song of mercy echoing through the interior. Jayne was leaning sitting on the stairs up to the bridge, mouth drawn and jaw tight. He grasped her hand as she began to ascend, leaning forward to graze his lips across the palm. Not even the tickle of his whiskers could make her smile. A final squeeze of her hand and she continued into the room.

Mal wasn't looking at her. In fact, he wasn't looking at anything or anyone.

Jack flopped into her seat, crossing her arms and staring at the black screen. A small light was flashing blue; Mr. Universe had called while they were dirtside. She wasn't about to check it though.

"Don't look like you're workin' there Jackie."

"Not."

Mal did look at her then.

"Not?"

"What I said isn't it?" Jack looked up at him. "You know as well as anyone on this ship that the nearest med center is at least ten hours and so long as my family is down there, I'm not doing a damn thing."

"Jackie, I ain't got tim for mutiny, now get on there."

"No."

"You know where you can find a doctor," Inara's voice joined them. She was dressed a bit oddly, at least in comparison to her normal garb. A pair of Jack's pants and one of her older shirts. Her hair was pulled back into a low tail and despite looking like the rest of the crew, it worked rather well. "You know exactly."

"Now gorram it," Mal shouted. Wash remained still as stone behind him. "He was dumb enough to get himself snatched in broad daylight. We don't have time to be beatin; the trees looking for him now."

"I wasn't talking about Simon." Inara stepped further into the cockpit. Dressing as crew had forced Mal to actually listen to her words. "I'm talking about medical facilities."

"That's not an option, nor a discussion I much want to have at the moment," Mal folded his arms. The look on his face told Jack exactly what Inara was suggesting.

"It doesn't matter what you want. He's dying, and we need a doctor." Inara looked to Jack. "We're close enough that we can get to Jiangyin if we leave now. Jayne already has his gear inside."

"Now hold up!" Mal shouted as Jack rose. "This, is mutiny."

"I believe it's a rescue mission sir." Zoe entered the room, taking Jack's seat as the two Serra women left. Inara turned before the captain could speak again, Jack following close behind. Of course, Mal wasn't a second behind them, shouting and entirely displeased by the events unfolding.

"You can't just take off with my shuttle!"

"So long as I pay rent, It's mine," Inara reminded him. "I can contact the guild if you're so worried, they'll pick us up and return the shuttle to you. Or Jack if she's planning to return."

"And just what are you planning to do once you get there?" Mal took her arm. "These folk ain't the open minded type, more likely to skin you. Especially you."

~!~

He was following her. The beast had her scent, only her face before, only her name. Now her being was bouncing around in his head. The scent of now found the scent of then, faint and half-forgotten, he'd thought it a dream. She'd never doubted him, not even when the needles were piercing her eyes and the hands of blue were tearing into her memories. Sewing the minds of others into her flesh and bone. The beast was silent behind her. Surefooted and silent, waiting patiently for her to make some move, some choice. The spirits were waiting silent, drowsy as they hoped to wake; she was to wake them. Such bother, such nonsense. Her own were lost in the screams, too loud to hear clearly and too hurt to help.

Silly Simon had chosen now to try and disappear. Not earlier when he was trying to stab her with needles but now, when she was to meet the beast and needed him to be there. Needed him there as one of Grandmother's line. Now she had to go and find him. Such a bother.

His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest.

Just as she was about to step out and scold her gege.

She'd never been held this close by a man trying to protect her. By men trying to hold her down, by men hurting her and cutting into her. Simon had never held her so tight or so close. The feeling of it stole her voice and those of Them. The logic of it kept her from making a sound. His thoughts reminded her of the risk involved with revealing herself. Quiet thoughts, strong, pushing through the roar of blood and the river.

Simon passed, his captors pushing and shoving, angry, desperate, excited. Dying. All of them dying with each breath. They passed, following the trail leading into misery.

"Night's our best bet." His rumble echoed through her.

"All is silent and still," she whispered. He was right. Again. "The beast will prowl and the dancer will skip across the rooftops."

"You've been here before?" he asked. He was amused, laughing silently inside of his mind. Found her willful, strong, Beautiful.

"The beast grew restless, explored. Gathered and presented." She turned, seeing him from the corner of her eye. "Followed the woman rather than stay with sister."

"Jack is doing just fine." She was bleeding, the scent worried him. He knew why, figured it out only after he was running behind her. "I know how she gets about family though."

"Remembers what she taught him."

He nodded.

~!~

"I found one trail, the doc and those what took him. Fainter one, runs a bit parallel. River-child and Riddick must have made that one." Jayne was standing in the door of the shuttle, glancing back and forth between the two women he'd come with. He'd run to the end of the galaxy and back for Kyra. Already he was thinkin' on dropping the title of mercenary, she had a powerful dislike of them and there wasn't a single job he was looking to take without her say so. 'Specially when she knew how to find the best cashy-money jobs.

"The fainter one is less likely to get us spotted," Inara hummed. "I don't suppose you brought any explosives?"

"What kind of question is that?" It was downright insulting.

"Inara," Jack was sitting on the table. "This, this can get you kicked off the ship. You aren't registered anymore." Jayne turned to look at his girl. "She had me send off a retirement form on the last stop."

"Good start to bein' crew," Jayne shrugged. "Disobeyin' Mal, wearing pants on a job. All ya need now's a gun." He looked around. "Also a damn sight better at doin' business."

"I suppose now we just need a tactician."

Inara's joke had all of them smiling. Their little mission seemed less daredevil now, less anxious.

~!~

Book knew he was in bad shape, as much as Zoe might try to make light of it. The only upside to this was his shoulders matched now. Matea moved above him, changing water as Zoe removed her gloves. This was a dream once, being tended by beautiful toffee skinned nurses after a gunfight. Once. Long ago. Now, now it was his daughters, trying to keep him from leaving before it was time. The family he'd considered having, once or twice, in the middle of the black, in the center of the jungle. When he was alone. He wasn't alone now. The family had shown up without so much as a by your leave. And he was glad for it.

"That bad?" he asked. Zoe's lips were pursed, brows drawn tight. Matea was having a hard time looking at him.

"Battle wounds are nothing new to me preacher." Zoe began applying the gauze, Matea coming over to supply tape. She was squeamish around blood, but she was trying. "I've seen men live with a dozen holes in 'em this size."

"That right?" Book asked.

"Surely is. Knew a man, had a hole clean through his whole shoulder."

"Crissan?" Matea asked, smiling. "He keeps a spare handkerchief in it now."

"Where's the doctor?" Book hated to break up their conversation. Zoe smiled in a way he'd not seen before. "Not back yet?"

"Jack and Jayne went to go and fetch him," Matea assured him. "You know how they get."

~!~

Round and around, his trail led up and down, through and forth. Always in sight of the quarry. The quarry was below them, sprawling across the dead earth. The sorrow did not rise, instead, it clung to them. Crawling along the earth like dung beetles. She could feel them creeping along her skin.

"Has questions."

Those were creeping along her skin as well. Ghostly touches, shy, wanting. They were blue. Bright blue and dreaming. He hadn't woken up yet. Grandmother had not awoken his Spirits. She wanted him to become strong on his own, wanted him to be worthy of becoming a consort.

"Few."

"Grandmother liked you." Liked him very much. She knew he carried moonlight within him. It was known of his clan.

"Shirah. She never told me much about you." He leaned forward. "Taught me everything else." Except who he was. Gave him a name needed to exist. Gave him skills needed to survive. Gave him knowledge needed to live.

"She teaches what she will. It is our way." River looked across the town. "I can hear the people dreaming. Dreaming of death and redemption. The entirety of the town will fall into it's sleep mode within the next three hours. There will be three deaths when Simon is reclaimed."

"Still not sure why I followed you here." He was. He was very sure.

"She is Beautiful. It has been a long time since you smelled Beautiful."

~!~

Mal was used to being disobeyed by his crew, of course, most times it was something small, something easily resolved and forgotten by the end of the night cycle. This was not one of those times. This was, in fact, one of those times when he needed to start sharing his plans. Especially with Jack. She was the one he planned on giving the ship to, crew and all if they so chose. Only thing, he'd been teaching her the less tricky parts of the business. Hadn't taught her to get her men healthy before launching a second attack. Zoe knew. Imam knew. Hell, even Jayne knew. But the war was over and guerilla tactics only worked sometimes these days.

Doo's head came to rest on his knee and Mal's hand was scratching his ears without a half thought. Dog didn't understand either, but he wasn't yellin' or running off. Just pacing around and wondering where the rest of them had gone.

"We'll go get 'em soon as can. Need to let the alliance fix our shepherd up first. Then we'll turn 'round and hope they didn't do something foolish."

Problem was, the whole darn venture seemed foolish from all angles.

"Doo, If I even get invited to a party again, bite me, will ya?" He made a huffing noise before he propped himself up on the arm of the couch. "Yeah, alright then. Get up here."

~!~

"Either, they can run, or, we found a coyote trail," Jack huffed as she followed Jayne up the hill. "I'm leaning towards, them running."

"Oh?" It was the first word Inara had said in almost twenty minutes.

"Yeah, back on Hades, and, on Kublai." Jack pushed herself, huffing. "Ran, faster than, most...could keep up."

"Ah."

"You girls gonna stop yammering soon?" Jayne was having little to no trouble.

"Ain't like, we're trying."

"To hide," Inara finished.

Jayne grunted, slowing ever so slightly. The brush began to clear the higher up the hill the went, until Jack nearly collapsed at seeing River and Riddick. It was now Jayne chose to be helpful, taking hold of each girl and helping them to a fallen log. River was grinning at her, fingers twisting around a curl as she came to crouch in front of the two Serra women. Riddick was laughing outright, Jayne turning his head to hide a smile she knew existed. He better be hiding it.

"Too soft," River smiled up at them. "the companion does not run. Do not seek that which will not come to her. Not used to collecting what she can not use."

Inara turned her head to River, brows raising and the faintest rise and fall of hr shoulders.

"Daddy will come." River sat down. "Sharing is not his strong point."

"Plan?" Jack breathed out. "Shut up."

Riddick only grinned at her before turning to size up Jayne. Oh sweet allah, not now. Not when she couldn't at least try to stop him from killing her man.

"No, not now," River shook her head. "Impressed, need two large men to carry out plan. Chances of rescue have risen from 89 to 95 percent." She tilted her head. "Assuming the sisters do not enter cardiac arrest."

"Hush," Inara huffed out. "I just, a minute."

"Up here 'til nightfall as is," Jayne called over. "Ain't such a good plan, placin' charges while folk can see ya doin' it."

Jack caught her breath as she and Inara listened in on the plan. The new plan according to River. It had been a simple snatch and grab before. Before Jayne showed up with his explosives and Riddick had thought about trying some of them out. Inara had bit her lip, internally protesting only to have River assure her it was kinder to force them into the town at the base of the hills. Many of those in the town were too fearful to head back.

"The patron kills those who would disobey him. Women and children first. The center of town is stained with their hopes."

River's morbid words were not made less so by her hanging from a tree.

"I don't suppose we could set him on fire," Jack's lips pursed.

"Cleanse the devil out of him with fire."

"Sounds absolutely delightful to me," Inara agreed.

Jayne leaned over towards Riddick, lifting a hand and whispering something. The result had the bald man whispering back, a grin on his face. In that moment, as the two of them made comments back and forth, Jack wondered which was worse, Jayne and Riddick at one anothers throats, or Jayne and Riddick making friends. River gave her an uncertain look. Jack didn't seem to be the only one unsure of the result.

"You two seem to be getting along," Inara spoke up.

"Hell, I ended up in the clink with this hundan back on Caloca." Jayne pulled a cigar out, patting his pockets down for a lighter. His eyes lit up when Jack tossed it to him. "I get snatched up for...well, ain't important now, but I get thrown in a cell. Next time the door opens, this fella walks in, cuffed up with a bit. Ain't right, taken a man in like that. So I get up, hit a few buttons, next thing I know we're haulin' ass outta there and grabbin' a ship to Merrick."

"Merrick, you mean we picked you up just as..."

"Took close on two years baobei," Jayne assured her. "Didn't miss nuthin' cept seein him kick my ass out of a shuttle."

"Hope you don't plan on collecting," Riddick rumbled. He was grinning.

"Pfft, no how. Figure it's karma," Jayne put the cigar out on his boot. Night was falling and a coal was a giveaway.

They watched the orange sun dip down between the hills. The torches in the township went up, casting a light glow on the quickly emptying streets. From their location, they could see a woman and three armed men escorting someone to a shack across the town. It was a bit nicer than the rest in the town, save one large building, a church, and the house right next to it. Perhaps the only building that could be defined as a house.

Riddick and Jayne were taking the lead. River would follow while Jack and Inara crept about and planted charges. The creep down the hill was much easier than the trek up, neither Jack nor Inara losing breath as they made their way down. They did leave quite a bit so far as silence went, but nothing that could be picked out by the average night watchman. Not that it didn't stop the heckling she and Inara caught. Whispers and faint giggles, honestly it was amazing they weren't caught.

Jack chewed her lip as she and Inara tied a twine to the grenade pins, running them around tot he back of the house. Then only fuzzy part of the whole plan was whether to blow the house before or after Simon was rescued. Either way it would cause a commotion and all six of them could get out without notice. Of course, if the house blew first, the townsfolk might try to fetch Simon. Sadly there was no way of knowing when River and Riddick got Simon out. Or knowing when Jayne had finished locking up the weapons store the township had.

Well, Jack had always liked to take initiative.

Inara took two of the pullstrings, a strangely excited smile on her face as she jerked them.

"We need to run now." Jack let the twine fall, grabbing Inara by the elbow and dashing towards Simon's prison. Simon was groggy, trying desperately to question River as Riddick tried not to knock him out.

"He will be silent or she will shoot him." River snapped. "The woman has not forgiven him for this morning."

"But River-"

The explosion cut anything he, or anyone else for that matter, might have said. Two frag grenades, a stinger, and a crimson had turned the Patrons house into a veritable glimpse into hell. Great lobs of reddish orange and bursts of bright red, the roar of the flames drowned out any sort of screams the patron might have made, along with waking everyone in town. The explosion of another building had all of them holding back a shout. Jayne must have found the weapons closet.

They were dashing towards the exit when Jayne caught up with them. Covered in dirt and soot, debris had taken up residence in his hair and his cigar was more than done for.

"Ol' hundan had hisself a drop mine stored," Jayne huffed. "Tripped over the damn thing tryin' to place a charge."

~!~

"I can't let you kids go anywhere!" Mal was standing on the catwalk, arms crossed and grinning. "I take the shepherd out for one night and the whole of you turn into hooligans."

"He will stop touching her!"

"Simon, stop messin' with yer sister!" Mal was working his way down the steps now. "Preacher needs lookin' after."

"But River is-"

"Women's problems," Mal cut him off. "Infirmary. Now."

The doctor made to speak, stopping as he saw River leaning against Inara and asking petulant questions. It was normal. How many times had he seen nurses sequestering themselves away from the world, angry words coming from their mouths when normally they were honey sweet and kind? This was one thing he really could do nothing about. Something he'd never even considered to be an issue before. Maybe his mother was right. Just a little bit. Maybe he did depend on her a little much.

"Most cruiser medics don't know a bullet wound from a zit," he finally nodded.

The rumbling voice of the strange rescuer made him pause in step. A little much...well, there would always be something he couldn't control, and maybe he couldn't heal every little cut and scar, but that didn't mean he couldn't posture and act like a big brother. He might have to find a subtle way of doing it, a way that didn't involve hand to hand combat, but he was intelligent. He could find some sort of way to intimidate a strange, likely dangerous, probably criminal, large man. Sure.

~!~

"So then," Mal had his thumbs looped through his belt loops. "Seems as we got ourselves two more fighters. Assuming of course Miss Serra continues along this downward spiral into deviance."

Deviance suited her. Dirt smudged across her cheeks and the look that only came from blowing something up. The look of healthy exertion and honest kidnapping flushed her skin in a way he'd never seen before. Yes, Inara Serra was a beautiful woman. Much too good for a life like his.

"There's a bit too much running," Inara smiled.

"Most days there's a few too many bullets," Zoe smirked from her place beside Wash.

"And less explosions," the pilot added. "Who's idea was that? Saved us half the trouble of trying to find you guys."

"Point is," Mal broke in. "We seem to have picked up yet another family member."

"You make it sound as though you were a godfather," Imam chuckled.

"Not nearly so vengeful as all that. Jackie's still alive ain't she?" Mal's face grew a bit more serious. "Now, we'll be passing through a system soon enough, hear tell there's a few crislam settlements, plenty of protection 'gainst those who might wish you ill." Mal took a seat, feeling rather his age and fifty years more. Crew nearly dying every job and when they weren't dying they were getting kidnapped or stealing shuttles. "Other option. You stay on. We become a family business. Take on bigger jobs and the like." He was thankful when a cup appeared in front of him. Tea, but still something hot and soothing. "Includes you Mr. Riddick." Nearly everyone was silent. Thinking, deciding. "Now, it's well past the captains bedtime and I still got folks to talk to. If the Serra's wouldn't mind meeting me on the bridge, I need Jayne to walk down to the weapons locker with me."

"And there's the godfather," Wash spoke as the four departed.

~!~

Jeez, this was dialogue heavy. Funside! My laptop is out of the shop, I know, amazing. Also, summer session classes are incredibly intense but going expertly well. The last chapter of Little One is going up soon. Well, the predicted final chapter.


	12. Some Kind of Holy War

Riddick enjoyed laying on a real bed. A real bed with a quilt handmade by one Mrs. Radiant Cobb and a set of sheets salvaged from Imam's sister's on Persephone. A ship made from castoffs and salvaged parts, things pulled together and reforged by people who'd been abandoned and broken. A psycho little family. No, not psycho. Delightfully dysfunctional and normal. They worked together in a strange little machine that didn't need much oil and carried out nearly any job they were given.

Yes, Riddick enjoyed laying on a real bed.

"God damn it Doc!"

When he wasn't lain out from a bullet wound.

~!~

"Got us a job!" Jack came down the stairs into the kitchen proper.

It was the morning cycle, breakfast was being served up and swallowed down. Rice, egg protein whipped to fluff and fried, and strong black coffee. There was reformed chicken protein as well, but it was a strange blue green color. It was also Riddick's second day on board. Most everyone was on guard, silently judging one party or the other. Mal and Zoe were more relaxed, trusting Imam's opinion, but still asking passive questions. Riddick gave passive answers in return, passive aggressive truth told. Doo begged from him as much as he did anyone else.

"Alright then," Mal grinned, tuning back to his meal. "Take a seat and share."

"Believe it or not, it's from Patience." Jack slid into her place beside Jayne. Cap'n Dad's answer didn't even surprise her.

"Nope."

"Let's her it out Mal," Inara set her hand near his. "How many times can she shoot you?"

"Many times as she's got bullets in her gun," Zoe smirked, tossing a piece of protein to the dog.

"Well what's that old harpy want?" Jayne reached over with a scoop of egg fluff, depositing it on Jack's plate. "Ain't she got the decency to get eat by them space freaks?"

"She's been having some trouble on her planet, it seems some of the folk she's put herself in charge of don't quite agree with her management." Jack handed the cortex over to Mal. "Did some research. She's been taking taxes and a bit off the top from the local businesses. Charging interest by the hour and taxing every head of livestock on every farm. And, she's got herself her own band of highway robbers."

"Sounds like something of a problem," Mal grinned.

"Best part of it?" Jack looked over at Imam. "Main town is Crislam. She took over when the prophet died from 'mysterious circumstances' after the last harvest hit. Worst part, she started converting the mosque into a church."

A chorus of curses echoed through the dining room, even Mal, who followed no faith, saw fit to let out a litany. Matea uncovered Zisa's ears when the table stopped.

"The town did not begin to fight until this moment, correct?" Imam asked.

"A few bar fights, maybe," Jack shook her head. "But nothing big until she got her talons into the stone."

"Matea and I have been seeking new accommodations," Imam consented. "With Zisa, I can not take the risks I once did. But I can offer you and yours safety when you need it."

Mal looked down at the screen once more, allowing Jack the time to eat. If they helped these folks out, chances were they could clean out Patience's vault and hideout. Imam would and could give them a place to lay low for a spell when they needed it. There was a high chance the townsfolk would be only too glad to have them too. She looked up from her plate to see Inara thinking almost as hard as Mal, the subject concerned something entirely different however. Jack knew that for a fact. Simon was the next to catch her eye, except he didn't look to be thinking, he looked like he was plotting.

That seemed decidedly bad.

"Part of the dance," River hummed by Jack's elbow. "All in the dance, in circles and center until the music stops."

The table seemed to relax somewhat. Even Riddick who'd been eating rather guarded by the end of the table seemed to relax at River's words.

"So happens I wouldn't mind takin' a shot at that old hag," Mal set the cortex to the side. His coffee met his lips. "We take the job. Get half our pay up front, carrying what we know to the other side."

"Communication is going to be a problem," Zoe pointed out. "Not much to bounce a signal off of. Lots of hills."

"I got a way around that, assuming River wants to help me out." River peeked at Jack from over her fork. "I can't wrap my head around the particulars."

"Duh." River went back to eating her breakfast.

Wash nodded approvingly while Jayne snorted into his coffee.

"Brat," Jack flicked a grain of rice into River's hair.

"It's what she does," Simon agreed.

The scent of leather and grit clung to Mal and Zoe both. The woman was a darker gray. Her scent was a darker gray than Mal's. He'd never scented people in shades before this ship. Never known the kind of person who turned their back on him either. Everyone on the ship stank of trust, except maybe the doctor, didn't trust anything out here. Trust, the lack and overabundance of it, was a dangerous thing in the black. It was a lifesaving thing out here in the black.

"Mr. Riddick." Mal seemed to have the perfect amount of both. Leather and grit, blood and steel, and under all of that, a sort of shadow. "Need ya to get your white hat out of storage."

Riddick raised a brow from his place on the couch. He was borrowing Jack's cortex, catching up on the news and Helion's plight. The captain was standing there with a rather big pup, both watching him with a certain eye. It was the first time he'd seen that dog away from River since he boarded. A faint wondering passed through his head regarding the dog's possible size.

"White hat?"

"Good guys ain't we? Least in this situation. Honest thievin' combined with liberation. Freedom and the pursuit of such is a popular belief around here." Mal hooked his thumbs into his belt loops, a knowing look in his eyes. "Mayhap you wouldn't mind spreading it to the folks dirtside with us."

Riddick had seen this kind of guy before. Monty was that kind of guy. Helped Riddick out just to piss off the feds chasing him. Mal was that kind of guy too, only difference was the why. Monty liked the idea, still liked to rebel, but Mal believed.

"Surprised you'd put a gun in my hand," Riddick grumbled. He turned the cortex off, knowing what the journalists planned to say without reading. The long and short of everything was that the Alliance was too scared to fight off the Necromongers. Too scared without the troops to hide it behind.

"Five days and my merc is still alive? Seems to say a lot about a man with your reputation. Got three very high recommendations as it happens," Mal spoke. "Imam goes way back, saved my skin more times than I'd like to admit to, he says you're decent folk." That alone made Riddick want to laugh. After all he'd seen and done, the holy man thought he was a good person. "Jackie's another. Fact is she's the closest thing I'm like to have to a daughter, and she's damn smart."

"I've wondered sometimes," Riddick couldn't help but jab. Mal didn't rise to it, in fact, he agreed.

"Ain't we all..." Mal shook his head, walking closer. He stopped at the kitchen table, resting his hands on his knees as he sat on the edge. "Point is, I take her opinion seriously. I also take what I see seriously. I was there last time a merc snatched you up. Saw that feifei pi guh snipe those little kids in the middle of town. I saw you sacrifice yourself for the rest of them too."

Mal was that kind of guy. The guy who looked into a man's core and saw exactly the kind of person you were. He'd been one of those guys sneaking atop the buildings to take Johns down before he could do anything else. He'd seen Riddick's white hat, stained and torn as it was, dingey

"You get on down to the weapons locker 'fore we land. Pick something you can hide and ammo to fill it up. Depending on the outcome of this job, we'll hit up Milosz and get you equipped."

Mal pushed himself off of the table and began towards the bay. Off to see the companion or the shepherd, the captain carried both smells more than any other.

"Who was it?"

Mal paused, looking over his shoulder with innocent confusion.

"Who?" Like a damn owl.

"The third one. The one who told you I'm a good investment."

"Ain't livestock son," Mal snorted, turning to face him fully. Mal was the kind of man who stared straight on, didn't flinch or hide. "Crew. Why's it matter?"

"Curious." Who did he need to talk to.

"Simon. Our doc. Says his sister's calmed down since you ran around with her on Jiangyin." Mal turned once more, pausing with one foot on each side of the threshold. "Just realized, Jackie's my daughter, your sister...makes you kin, doesn't it?"

Mal walked out before Riddick could scoff at the idea. Kin. Kin? With these people? The mechanic wore flowered frocks and didn't have much in the way of brains. Most often she was throwing herself at an oblivious doctor, equally oblivious of the way Simon was looking at her in return. Kin, with her, with Jayne, the only man who'd ever tracked him so damn easily and kept pace with him and managed to accidentally blow up a whole town. _Accidentally_. He'd admit Inara, blood sister, took Jack out of trouble and set her right, not legal, but set her on the right path. She blew up a town on purpose.

"Always forward, never straight."

He looked up to see the littlest staring down at him from the vent. He hadn't even known. She was too ingrained in the ship and the ventilation was pulling her scent away from him.

"Owes her a gift."

Riddick grinned up at her. "Do I?"

There was an annoyed sound as the grate loosened and lifted. Her head dropped out, along with her torso, legs keeping her inside of the shaft as she crossed her arms in front of her. Any other woman, any other place he'd have pulled her down, pinned her to the table until she gave in to that primal side of her brain. But she wasn't any other woman. She was Beautiful and giving him a look he'd seen Shirah wear before. Expectant as she waited for the gift she knew he had. The gift he'd had for years. The gift resting on a chain around his neck. She raised a brow at him.

"Why do you want it?"

"It is mine." Blunt or cryptic, there was no middle ground with her. The dog was padding back in, sitting beside Riddick and staring at River with big worried eyes.

"Why? Why would you want token from me?"

"He knows," River's brows furrowed. "He confuses her. The gift is a symbol, it is known. It is his strength."

"You don't know me," Riddick stood up, unsurprised as she slipped back into her hiding spot. The scent of blood was shifting on her, hormones fluctuating and muscles tensed up the wrong way. She was in pain. Deep primal pain that called to him with the promise of life. "Why me?"

"Grandmother picked you."

Riddick let out a laugh, turning his head to the side. Basing her opinions on what she'd been told and a snatch and grab from the day before. Ready to cleave herself to him because of rumors. Because of a scent that told him she was the most beautiful creature in existence.

"Grandmother isn't here," he looked at her once more. Colors were lost to him, had been for nearly a decade, but hers carried a shade he'd seen many times. The color of insanity, driven to the darkness of her mind by others. "She hasn't been around for years. We're different animals now."

River's hand went into her hair, clenching around the locks as she began to swing in place. She jerked into the airduct, a keening moan echoing from within and the dog, unnamed as he was, had climbed onto a chair, paws on the table as he began to whine. Therapy animal, had them in the upper levels of Slam City; had them in Serenity too. A pale hand slipped out, fingertips grazing the short hair of the canine. He scent mellowed before she spoke.

"She knows the important parts. Cliff notes version. Grandmother's words and teachings."

"You need to know more about me," Riddick told the darkness. "I need to know more about you. The old ways don't work anymore Beautiful."

"Must update the software, new users in the system, broken system. Must be updated."

"It is. Gotta build new traditions." Her could see her shift in the darkness to easier touch the dog on the table. "Mal says we're going dirtside." They could hunt again, stalking through the shadows and picking them off. Running with someone was a helluva lot more fun than run alone. Hunting in a group like they were supposed to...

"Will not allow her out," River hummed. "Keeps her inside, away from eyes."

"Guess I'll see you when we get back then." Riddick moved away from the vent. "Get some rest Zheana."

He left her and the dog, heading down to the weapons locker to pick through the stash of weapons. The crew had their arms, well cared for, older models. He wasn't expecting much downstairs. A few spare glocks, maybe an automatic or two. Anything big or powerful would be in the merc's bunk, anything with decent aim or high capacity wouldn't be in storage. He'd been around killers too long. The cabinet was up to date, well stocked and the weapons were cleaned regularly. Nothing low class either. Mal kept his ship ready to fight, even if his ship didn't consist solely of fighters.

An Ivory Soul was in there. Large caliber, low kick, the entry was small, barely noticeable, but the exit wound was enough to fit a man's fist into. Shot clean and quiet without too much fuss. Riddick was ready to slip it into the waistband of his pants until he saw the matching holster. He couldn't help but grin. Kin. What an idea.

Riddick began back up the stairs, readjusting to the weight of a gun on his back rather than hidden on his person. It had been years since he'd worn a firearm for a job. A good job. Maybe not lawful, but he'd never worked a legal job, even when they claimed to be. A long knife had been in the locker as well, blade sharp and the handle easy, sheathe just waiting for someone to strap to their thigh.

There was a bustling sound in Imam's shuttle. The soft back and forth between the holy man and his wife overrode the sound of typing and mantras coming out of the Serra shuttle. His climb was silent as he went to oversee the packing; the holy man had recommended him to a troupe of misfits with a taste for blowing things up. Not an altogether bad thing. He stopped outside of the shuttle, watching silently, leaning against the doorway as so many on this ship seemed to do.

"Kickin' dust then?" Riddick asked. Imam and Matea were packing what few belongings they had, most picked up from family on Persephone, some from Serenity herself.

"I think perhaps it is time," he nodded. A hefty case was in his arms, at least so long as he was tall. "Time to let go of the past." Rough hands ran along the smooth leather case. "I served beside Mal and Zoe, in knee deep blood and feces so thick you could not tell where the earth began and the death ended." Imam looked up at him. "Mal and Zoe, they never left Serenity valley. Not in their minds or their souls."

"Some places just keep a hold of you," Riddick admitted. Hades was one of those places, Slam City another. Neither were quite like the Academy though. The place they taught him to be a killer, to be all he could be and more. And then the company turned on him. They turned on him for doing something good.

Zisa was playing with a doll in the corner, speaking softly to her about what they should pack.

"River came by earlier." Imam stood with his case. "She and Zisa will miss each other."

He began to walk out of the shuttle towards the one across the bay. Riddick had to follow. He wanted to know what was in the case. It made him smile. _A holy man walks up to a companion with a long package._ The companion invited them in, dressed in silks and jewels; he can see how Jack was softened and polished. He can see where she's picked up the new-found grace and her acceptance of being a woman. It's done her good to be put into a family. To be around kin.

"Miss Serra, Jacqueline," Imam went in further, resting the large case on the table. "Inara, I hope you do not find me rude, but I noticed something particular about you, and your hands."

"Oh?" Inara sat down across from him. Jack was still sitting on the couch, tapping away at a keyboard she'd connected to the ship cortex. He could see her eyes flicker over every so often before refocusing on the program she was creating. She hadn't asked for her portable back, but he was done with it for now. Her hand was out and waiting as soon as he pulled it from his pocket. He grinned, setting it down on her lap before sitting against the wall and listening to Imam.

"I seem to remember a competition some years ago on Londonium. I believe you attended?"

"I have attended some few, yes," Inara admitted. She was being coy, suspicious.

"I think perhaps, you may like this." Imam unclasped the worn leather, flipping it open. Jack had stopped paying attention. Riddick's eyes widened. "Sisters should not be separated."

~!~

Simon listened closely as the crew planned their scheme, absently scratching Diesel behind the ears; mother's nerves had never been strong enough for a pet. They were planning to double-cross a crazy old woman for a good cause and a good sized payout. Even the holy men were sitting in, watching with sharps eyes and wise words. Riddick was sitting there as well, twirling a knife in his hand as he listened to the captain. In what world was it wise to arm a convicted killer well known for killing a crew and stealing the ship? But they had. They'd armed him and assigned him a bunk and a cut of any job they took on.

"Imam, need you to break off when we hit atmo, start gathering the townsfolk up and handin' a gun to anyone might hold it." Mal took a sip of his coffee. "I want you to go with him Riddick. Your file says you're a mighty fine scout, need you to find best places to launch an attack from."

Riddick's mouth quirked as he continued to twirl his knife. Getting used to the weight of it, he'd explained earlier. The man ape had grunted in understanding, continuing to clean his gun while the others seemed unfazed. The shift from core hospital to rim outlaws was surreal, the way each of them simply followed suit, soldiers without an army. A whole squad was in front of him, sniper, demolitions, officers...

"Uhm, I would like to go around the town before hand," Simon spoke up. "If the previous priest was the town doctor, it's likely we'll be defending the dying. Any fighters might be too sick to hold a gun." He was the medic.

"Got a point," Mal nodded. "We'll send you into town with Imam and Riddick. Find out who's fightin' and who needs a place to bunk down for a spell."

"Plannin' to open up the ship?" Jayne asked.

"Ain't no reason innocent folk need to get shot. Best get all belongings ready to move, case we need to double up," Mal nodded. "After we deal with Patience, I need Wash to land on the outskirts. Zoe, you'll be..."

Simon continued to listen, asking questions that no one else seemed to ask about points Mal must have overlooked. Or perhaps he hadn't, either way it was exciting. Planning crime. Being involved. He hadn't been involved in anything with other people, not for a very long time. Especially not with people who told him exactly what they thought. Admitted, they lacked manners, and sometimes he felt as though he were talking to children, but they were honest. And scary at times.

River popped up beside him, staring down at the map of Patience's home base. She'd been spending time with the Serras again, the scent of incense and perfume was following her about and her clothes were certainly not from himself or Kaylee's closet. She was groomed as well. Tiny braids had started floating around in her messy locks. Combined with her movements, Simon might have mistaken her for his grandmother.

"This is wrong." She tapped her finger on the blueprints, right on a wall. "Cut it out, didn't match the rest."

Mal's mouth closed as Zoe made small marks on the map. Question marks all along the maybe wall. Why were they listening to her when she'd never even set foot on Whitefall? It didn't make any sense. The comforting weight of a canine head rest on his thigh and he found himself relaxing ever so slightly.

"Well thank you for that Lil' Bit. Don't suppose you and Jack figured out that communications glitch?"

"Solved fifteen minutes after breakfast," River hummed, looking at the map. "Gifted with chocolate. There will be guards here and here. No surveillance equipment."

Simon watched as his sister skipped away, calling for Zisa to come and play. Miss Edith wanted tea. Imam followed River out, smiling at her as he offered his assistance in finding the young girl. The sound of River's demands echoed back at them; Imam was to have tea in the event of his daughters absence. Riddick stood moments later, heading the opposite direction towards Jack and Inara.

"Your sister doin' okay?" Mal asked. He was watching Zoe as she continued to maybe mark the map. Obviously he was as doubtful as Simon, both of River's predictions and his first mate taking them seriously.

"She seems to be between screaming fits for the moment," Simon admitted. "It's hard to tell what is natural and what isn't right now."

Simon found himself under the sudden scrutiny of one very angry black woman. No matter what he attempted to stutter out or use in his defense, her glare only increased. Neither Wash, nor Mal, nor Jayne were stepping in, leaving Simon all to himself, crouching low in a worn wooden seat. He felt like a school boy being scolded by his teacher. Only when Matea entered did Zoe relax her gaze and after a few quick words there were two sets of eyes fixed on him.

Jack made a sound when Riddick ducked into the shuttle. A welcoming hum similar to Inara's welcoming nod. The visual and audio version of the same greeting. Riddick made a sound of his own as he walked further in. He was clean, cleaner than Jack had ever seen him and his clothes in much the same state. A benefit of the firefly class shower rooms was the drawer beneath the stall. As you washed, so did your clothes, as you dried, so did your clothes. It got a bit manky when the water was cycled too much, but at least they got clean.

She could see him waiting for invitation to sit, even if he wasn't planning on it.

"Why are you standing around?" Jack looked at him. "You're making me nervous."

"Please, have a seat Mr. Riddick," Inara smiled. "I was just about to prepare some tea. Jasmine?"

"Sounds fine." He lowered himself into one of Inara's few chairs, slouching like some wild beast king. "Your crew is crazy."

Jack grinned as Inara hid a laugh. The Jiangyin mission had been an interesting experience in bonding. Imam's gift had been another surprise, bringing the two of them closer after a small argument about secrets and trust.

"That's putting it lightly. What makes Our crew crazy this time?"

He pulled the gun from the shoulder holster, setting it on the table before he started playing with the knife again. The tech girl could see exactly what made him uneasy. The sudden trust he'd been given upon his arrival was enough to make anyone jumpy. Even Jack was skittish her first month on board. Riddick boasted his title of convict and murderer and in return Mal had given him a gun and knife and a place to sleep.

"I tried talking him into a Black Brother," Jack hummed, looking back at her cortex. "Same gun, I know, but Mal wanted something 'auspcious' sounding."

"Serenity is a family, Mr. Riddick. A family you've belonged to since Jack stepped on board." Inara stirred the tea gently, the scent filling the shuttle. "A part of our family if nothing else. Richard Serra..." She looked over at Jack. "What to you think?"

"Crazy," Riddick laughed.

"Works better than using his middle name, Brandon Serra? Richard works much better."

"Got issue with my name?" Richard raised his brow, aggressive in his speech as he accepted the tea from Inara.

"No, but it sounds better," She tapped at her keyboard, "when I put it in the ship roster. And considering the fact there's a certified companion and a clerk listed as sisters, they won't check too hard."

The three of them settled into a comfortable silence within the confines of the shuttle. The scent of tea swirled around them as each fell back into their own world. Riddick had found a book somewhere, hardbound in leather, and he'd begun to read when it seemed neither woman had more to say. The soft tap of keys mixed in with the hum of Inara's mantras as the occasional whisper of paper against skin.

Only when River crept in did any change happen. Jack shifted on the couch, allowing the younger woman to cuddle up next to her. Riddick continued with his book, though he did pour another cup of tea. Inara remained deep in meditation, whispering in silent repetition as she rocked ever so slightly. Peaceful and quiet, Jack continued altering the ships logs, going so far in as to add Richard Serra's presence at the last docking at Persephone.

"Caught up with the family," River hummed as Jack input the codes. "Escort service, family business."

"Suppose so," Jack hummed. Patience had just sent them a new wave, landing instructions sending them into the middle of nowhere. Hiding them from the townsfolk she terrorized. She cleaned the message up, sending it to Wash. "Escorting my crew to new jobs, escorting family out of the clutches of killers, escorting, well, Inara escorts who she will."

Inara had broken from her meditation, blinking dreamily at the room around her. She was serene as she sat upon her cushion, watching each of them with a slight smile. It made sense now.

"Not a genius," River looked up at her. "Forgiven."

"Oh, thanks for that," Jack rolled her eyes.

Sister and Sister's sister were so calm. She liked these moment the most, when Inara made her mind hum in song and Jack thought in numbers and mazes. He was new. The beast sitting quietly in his place, focusing on her. He was reading. Reading the dance. How would the Beast respond?

"Zoe worries." Zoe was brilliant in hiding her light. She hid her worries and fears from the girl. The Woman. "The math is wrong, expects one from two."

"Isn't that right though?" Jack asked.

Sister's sister responded before Sister had. She understood. For how long could the mockingbird speak? How long until Sister's sister became Elder sister and then little mother?

"One and one is two." Inara was rising slowly from her place, dreamy. "Twins."

"Mal isn't going to like that," Jack sighed. "Means he's going to be down a gun-hand, and more kids, and Wash."

Still the Beast remained silent. Only now had he understood what they sang of. Only now did he think on anything other than the room around him and escape plans and theft and kidnapping. He would steal her. He was a thief in the endless night, the brightest gem was his, but he needed to build the frame. The mount was part of the sparkle. The family was part of her luster. The pack was his and he was theirs. Kin.

Daddy called out, the holy man and Zisa and his wife were coming to the Serra shuttle. Gege was coming in as well with his bag of needles and pills. Hateful, dreadful little chunks of pink dreams and blue rage. They were helpful on the ground. The were excited.

"Mei, you coming?" Sister was standing by the door, cortex under her arm and a light sweater in her hand. Sister was always cold. The harpies stole her warmth away; Jayne was giving it back.

"She will. Wash promises to explain the theory behind long range orbit entry during night cycle." She understood the basic theory, the math and the angles;Wash knew the feeling of the land, knew every shudder and shake of Mother and what Kaylee was doing though those mumbles.

"Night flying," Jack nodded. "Scares the hell out of me."

~!~

"Mockingbird, you are free to depart in five, four, three, two, one."

Inara's shuttle let go. The lights were off and she was flying towards the settlement, even patience was blind to her departure. Jack had a distinct feeling that Riddick was the one piloting, Inara was just as uncomfortable flying in the dark as Jack. Flying with the lights off must have been worse.

Wash was having little to no problem with flying blind. He was jovial even, taking a patient long range landing. Mal didn't use them very often, always striking direct, but in this case, they were free to do as they wished. River was perched on an unused console beside Wash, listening to his lecture concerning trajectory and tilt and all sorts of math related thing Jack was miserable at. Yet the two beside her were alight with excitement, speaking in their own sort of language as they went, they were birds. Wash in his too hideous salmon and teal Hawaiian shirt while River sat in a a strange and colorful mix of Inara's silk, Kaylee's lace, and Jack's denim. They needed to land someplace with a decent market soon.

Jack returned to setting the town video fed on a randomized loop. She searched through the entire security system for any useful glitches or exploitable weak points. There was no reason to create a hold if one already existed. There, in Patience's own fortress was a weak relay. A frayed wire most likely, the security feed just need one tiny little surge and it would snap, sending the bioscanners down and the weapons scanners offline. She'd never even know. The function light would stay green, no new biosignatures would show up for the old woman to turn in or send a posse after. The family would be safe.

"Chances of at least one crew member being shot are one in thirty-seven." River spoke offhanded. "Flight crew's chances are one in seventy-three."

"I like our odds more," Wash nodded as he set the ship down. "Which one is Jack?"

"Hey, don't be taking odds on my health!"

River tilted her head, eyes sparkling as a teasing smile lit her face up. "Chances of Jack being shot are sixty-three to one. Patience will not shoot her, has a soft spot for jieh. Wants to steal her away."

"Oh, well that's...that." Wash didn't know what to say.

"The chances of me Ever working for that hag are lower than the chances of Riddick spontaneously turning into a woman." In the few moments she'd spoken on the Wave with the woman, she'd managed to rub Jack the wrong way. The same way the slavers had, the same way Johns had, the same way Badger did.

"_Why am _I_ the one turning into a woman?" _

The low rumble of the convict made Wash squeak in a very un-manly fashion. To be fair, everyone had jumped. Even River jerked to stare at the comm speaker when he spoke. She wasn't very fond of technical things Jack discovered. She couldn't read them, couldn't make sense of them despite the simplicity of making it work.

"_You forgot to turn the comm system off,"_ Inara's voice lilted through the speakers._ "Although, I'd like to know where Simon falls."_

"Systems," River waved it off. "Gege, Grandfather, and Inavva currently quantified as non-combative personnel. Vital to crew function, not ship function. Low chance of recognition, reputation powerful enough to dissuade She from harming" River swung to stare at the door of the bridge. "Believes in grandfather's book. Fervent. Zealot."

It made sense. The destruction of heathens and pagan beliefs. They were stepping into the crusades of Earth that was.

"Always knew somethin' weren't quite right about her."

Mal was standing behind them with a scowl on his face; he may well have been standing there for some time. His pistol was hanging from his hip and he was adjusting his brown leather coat. Inara had patched it up last night.

"Alright, time to say g'night kids-"

"_Night dad."_ Riddick's low rumble made nearly everyone snicker.

"...Comm system off until daybreak," Mal reached forward and flicked the switch. His face was somewhere between wicked amusement and horror and frustration. He already had two smart mouths calling him Dad, and Jack had heard Simon call him as such during a particularly bad day. Though, in all honesty they wouldn't call him Dad, sarcastic or not, if he didn't act like he was. It was a cycle of annoyance and affection.

"That's ship communications," Jack reached over and reset the switch. "You turned the kitchen off."

Before Mal could pick another, Wash turned the shuttle comm off. There was a soft grumble from the captain as he began moving around, peering over both of their shoulders and making noises to imply he knew what either of them were doing. Jack had to exchange a grin with Wash and her mei both. Cap'n Dad was going to get annoyed with the whole thing in a minute and tell Jack to gear up and get down to the cargo bay.

"Jack, you finished up?"

"Five by five," she pushed her screen away.

"Good, get your gear, get down to the bay. And tell Jayne we ain't bringing the automatic to a peaceable gorram meeting."

"I can tell, doesn't mean he's going to listen," Jack started following him out of the bridge, pausing just outside. "Hey, Riv, can you keep an eye on communication? Got everything set up so Patience doesn't hear the shuttle chattering back to us."

River eyed the cortex distastefully before nodding. A nod of thanks came from Jack as she continued to Jayne's room. She'd transferred her things over while Imam and his family moved their belongings into Inara's shuttle. Hadn't that given Mal an aneurism and a half...she couldn't imagine what he'd do when she and Jayne finally decided to move on to third base. A heart attack? A stroke? It didn't bear thinking about.

"Hey Kyra, you reckon I should bring 'long Viv or Darla?"

She looked over at the two 'girls' in question.

"It's a peace meeting...bring Viv. And leave Vera."

"Aw, but babe-"

"Jayne, Dad's already about to throw you out of the airlock and all I'm doing is storing my gear in here." Kyra moved closer to him, taking his hands into her own. Her big grizzly hun dan was staring down at her with a softness he kept locked away until they were alone. "Leave Vera, I've got a feeling she'll be seeing a lot of action in the next few days."

"Alright." it was a quiet grumble, reluctant. "But only 'cause you reckon I'm gonna bring her out later."

He leaned down and kissed her, whiskers tickling her chin and cheeks in their chaste moment.

"Thank you. I promise I'll make it up to you." She stood on her tiptoes, whispering into his ear. The look of utter glee and shock was enough to make her laugh outright. "If you ask nice I'm sure she'll let you touch it."

"Your sister..." Jayne began to bounce on his heels as Kyra continued to gear up. "Well hurry on up girl. Let's get this show on the road."

~!~

Zoe was driving them to the compound at a more than reasonable pace. Almost sedate in Jack's opinion. She could see the outline of each tree they passed and count the fence posts. So dull, so boring, at least Doo was enjoying himself. Standing on the back of the mule behind Jayne, they'd rigged a type of harness so he wouldn't go flying on corners, his eyes were lit with joy and his nose was working overtime. He was excited and Jack knew there was going to be a heap of people-shaped excitement in a few minutes. Ahead of them, Jack could see the bright yellow gold light of bonfires and a little higher up, she could see bright white lights all along what must have been a fence. A tall fence, taller than most anyone could climb without notice. Patience hadn't just taken over, she'd built herself a stronghold to keep that power. A stronghold and an army all along the wall. Probably had her own priest too, or she'd gotten herself ordained.

The mule slowed in front of the compound gates, a sickly rattle coming out from the back as she came to a stop; Jayne kept Doo from skidding. If they won, Jack was stealing one of the old woman's mules...assuming hers were in any better condition. If not, then she was going to start collecting funds so they could go and get a new mule. Actually, New Mules were made on the same planet as New Guns. New guns, new comforts for the living quarters -because Mr. U's pit crew only fixed the standard hardware, bastards- and blankets galore. If their payout was big, Jack would lock Mal out of the bridge and bully Wash into driving them to Milosz.

"Next stop, far away from here," Mal scowled as they were waved over to the overly flamboyant farm house. In the deep shadow of the night and the orange glow of firelight, the house could have been any color; all of them could tell it was some kind of bright yellow or neon green.

"Thinking on Milosz, stock up some." Mal glanced at all three of his crew. "Not the best vacation point, but I think we'll manage."

"Milosz means shopping." Zoe was giving Mal a look. "You know this, right?"

"Indeed I do," Mal grinned at them. He jumped down from the mule, Doo not a step behind him, before glancing back. "Well? Milosz gateway only opens once every three weeks."

That fact alone, Mal willingly going dirt-side for weeks, made each of them jump out from the mule. Even their armed escort to the house didn't upset Jack. Zoe too seemed undaunted, though she was much better at hiding it. Where Jack was smiling and making a mental list, Zoe had turned back to business, only her eyes twinkling with excitement. Something Patience mistook for joy at being in her very presence. The smile on Jayne's face was seen as blood-lust and even Mal's determination to just get it done and gone was seen as bowing to her mighty...

Orange...

Top hat?

"What the hell is on her head?" Jayne kept his whisper lower than the old woman could hear, thank Allah.

"Mighty fine hat," Mal called out, answering Jayne and paying a compliment.

"Noticed you finally got your girl out in the open," Patience grinned. Her teeth were reddened from a new drug the alliance was pushing. Poor Man's Tobacco, officially called Eve's Leaves, grew faster with less water and higher return. The sad part was, only those folk who wanted some sort of prestige seemed to go for it. Honest, hardworking folk saved their pennies for the real thing and those with the money preferred the real thing.

"Does what I tell her," Mal shrugged. "If of course she wants to do it."

"I believe the term is mercurial," Zoe agreed.

"That it is. Course, unless we all hear the details of this here job, I'm not entirely sure any of us are up for doing it." Mal smiled congenially at Patience. "Got jobs lined up and whatnot."

"Course you do," Patience grinned at them with a mouthful of red teeth. She was patronizing, indulgent and snide as she spoke. "Plain and simple truth is I need a few folk to keep watch here. I know your kind Mal, you ain't the type to go in and do the real hard work. So the fact is, I want you and Zoe to keep watch on my manor while I go in with my boys tomorrow night." She almost leered at Jack and Jayne both. "Course, your crew is welcome to tag along, less those ragheaded scum keep o' their old faith, less we gotta fight 'em to convert to the good book. The real book, not that fucked up go shi them Crislam's worship."

Jack tried very hard not to let anything clench in anger. Not a muscle twitched until she imagined the woman burning on a stake, hanging upside down as crows pecking her eyes out, trapped in the middle of New Mecca...as Necros shot everyone down. As they burned her home and enslaved the living.

"I take it you ain't a fan."

"Weren't for the fact they're a bunch of corpse fuckers, I'd kiss one of them necros for what they done." Patience spat a gob of red spittle onto the ground, watching as the dog went to sniff it. She grinned wide when he sneezed.

"Hm, well, I'll tell you what. Let me run it past the rest of my crew. Got ourselves an appointment in a few, and if we miss our window, well, ain't gonna be enough gas to do much else."

"Hell boy, fill yerself up." she waved a hand in the direction of a particularly well guarded tower. "Job shouldn't take more'n a night. You just keep an eye on this place while we do ours."

"What's the payout?" Jack found herself asking. How much was Patience willing to may them for helping in genocide? How much was she paying for this crusade?

"Ain't god's work enough for ya?" Patience snorted. "Hell, don't seem to be enough for anyone these days. You get forty thousand, more iffin your folk decide to help on out with the good fight."

Jack was pretty damn sure they'd be doing a lot more than helping.

~!~

Simon waved the next patient forward. In the dark of the night, he came, with needles to ease the pain. The doctor paused as he felt the young boy's glands. River was rubbing off on him. The whole crew was rubbing off on him truth told.

Within the shuttle, Inara was attending to the female colonists. Running scans and inspections, feeling for what Simon warned her of and checking rashes and markings against the cortex. Every so often she would come out with a capture, showing him something she herself couldn't identify. Most of the ailments were women's issues, pending pregnancy, a scan to check general health. Only a few required Simon step in; those few involved Simon telling the husband to stop doing one thing or other, to stop forcing his wife into the heat so often.

His time on Serenity, exposed to Crislams such as Jack and Zoe and Imam...he'd expected all of them to act like they did. He'd expected all Shepherds and Christians to act like Book and Kaylee...

"Something on your mind?"

Simon looked up as Inara exited the shuttle, hair covered in respect to the native culture. She was dressed simply, though she was still far more glamorous than the women here.

"I'm just being reminded," Simon answered. The sun was going to rise soon. Everyone knew it. Everyone knew the doctor had to return before even if their new Prophet remained behind to steer them through the darkness. "How long did it take you to really understand the difference out here?"

"I don't think I understand It now," Inara replied. She was being honest with him, he would see it in here eyes. "But I understand that everything I learned in the guild, everything I was told...doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. My sister doesn't understand it yet either, if that's any consolation."

"Jack?" Simon could hardly believe that.

"Abencerrajes and New Mecca are both considered Core."

Just not Anglo Asiatic core.

"The universe is a very big place, isn't it?" Simon asked, closing his bag up.

"Could be bigger."

Only years of River and Grandmother sneaking up on him kept Simon from dropping everything. Years of his mostly silent father and the recent sneakings of Jayne the Ape. Riddick's sudden reappearance was strangely comforting. Strangely...familial. The entire trip, he'd been watching the convict, studying him and looking for the traits every core doctor was trained to watch for. Minute shaking of a junkie, the facial twitch of a con man, the staccato pulse of a liar. He hadn't seen one. Not a single give to discredit him. He actually seemed rather polite, given the circumstances and his surroundings. Bullish, broody, speaking only when he had to or when he felt the need to irritate Mal. Dad...Mal was never going to escape that.

Inara jumped ever so slightly, just under a foot, causing Simon to grin.

"I suppose Grandma Tam taught you how to sneak around," Inara finally caught her breath. Simon had to bury his face in his bag to keep from laughing to loud. Until Tam entered his thought process. "River mentioned you knew her."

"You knew Grandmother?" Simon asked. Familial. Familiar. Everything began to click in his mind. He acted as his father did in Grandmother's presence. Strong enough to hold his ground, respectful enough to back down. "How did she not kill you?"

"Simon." Inara's tone was meant to chasten him. She'd never met Shirah Tam, she'd never really known the harsh and intense woman who'd raised he and his sister both.

"I'm not entirely sure." Riddick understood the question perfectly. "You?"

"Apparently she liked me," Simon shook his head. "Just enough to keep from smothering me in my crib, but, it's something." He paused in his movements. It was something. Something big and important and ever so small, smaller than any microscope and small enough to escape his notice so completely. "You're a born Furyan, right? I mean, both sides, mother and father?"

"Wouldn't call them parents, but yeah."

Simon took his cortex back from Inara, all social niceties forgotten as he sought out River's genetic scans. River was special. She always had been, regardless of what ran through her mind, but what if the Alliance hadn't targeted her for those thoughts. What if they were hunting for her blood, just as they had hunted Grandmother for hers?

"Do you think the Academy took River because of her DNA?" Inara asked. She'd caught on, perhaps not fully comprehending the situation, but she was quick.

"I do." Simon continued to inspect River's genetic code. "But...I'd need...Riddick, would you mind if I took a small sample, just a drop or two...The Furyan genetic code isn't open to the medical community and grandmother disappeared...I've been treating my sister as though she were fully human and..."

There was a moment of silence as the convict stared at him. Furyan genetics and traditions were pulled from the fog of Simon's childhood. The stronger male was always in charge when there was no Khalessi around. In charge until the moment someone rose up against him. Until Simon had challenged his father and proven to be the stronger of the two. The fleeting memory of an ambulance flickered across Simon's mind as Riddick sat on one of Inara's many couches, hand fisted and vein exposed.

"Shirah was pretty specific about making sure River was safe."

Of course. The only reason anyone did anything in their family was Grandmother had approved it. Even Regan was bound by Matriarchal Law. Riddick's primal behaviors were suddenly refined, traditional, not just a creature of circumstance. Well, that may have been going a bit far. He was still a criminal...like every other Furyan left in the universe.

"I'm not sure I understand," Inara came to watch Simon pull a sample. "If she's your sister, why not compare your own genetics?"

"The Furyan gene..." He glanced up at Riddick as he drew a small vial. Technically he wasn't supposed to know; River had broken that rule when Simon went to Medacad, she needed her doctor to know what he was doing. The convict didn't move to stop him. "The gene needs to be awakened. It isn't even a gene at all really. It's a microorganism working in symbiosis with the formerly human natives."

"Started altering genetics," Riddick bent his arm, staring at the broken skin. "Stopped being Sapien, started being Superior."

"I suppose I'm bound to secrecy now." Inara went to prep the shuttle for flight, knowing Riddick would fly them back.

"Unless River or grandmother says otherwise." Simon began to analyze the blood as best he could, looking for that one trait in Riddick that he shared with River. That one tiny little key to everything.

"A Matriarchal civilization." Inara was surprised. Given what she knew of the Tam family and what she'd seen in Riddick's behavior, her surprise made perfect sense. A group of people well round in art, war, and science; the building blocks of civilization. "Then, were men relegated to menial tasks?"

"That is actually the extent of my knowledge." Simon glanced up. "In Grandmother's world, you were worthy...or you weren't."

"She will as she wills it." Riddick was waiting for Inara to move, watching her start the ship up as she spoke with Simon. "This is known."

"This is known," Simon echoed.

"_It _is_ known. They will be silent now."_

River's voice echoed through the shuttle. Despite Mal's instruction to silence. She spoke up before he could question her. The sun would rise in twenty-five minutes, but if they didn't return in the next ten, the light would bounce off of the shuttle and they'd be seen. She seemed surprisingly lucid today. Maybe the less people around...

"_A later time, he will comprehend. It is recommended you return immediately. Jack is boiling and is in need of her Jiehjieh." _

"I suppose that's my cue," Inara settled herself in the passenger seat. "You know Mr. Riddick, the more I find out about you, the firmer you plant yourself in our family."

Simon had to agree.

Grudgingly.

He was still going to find a way to intimidate this man.

~!~

Zoe had never seen her mei so pissed off. That was really the only term that fit the young woman in this moment. In every moment since they'd left the compound and every second in between. The girl had never been really enraged by something. She'd never held an ideal or a belief close to her heart. Even now, she was crislam, but that wasn't what enraged her. It was the same thing that had started the war. It was freedom combined with loss and a massacre to inflame a whole people.

"Death has claimed Neo-Bedouin." River's whisper made Zoe close her eyes in pain. Helion 4 had fallen. They were moving inwards from the outside. They'd have the whole system taken within a year. "I'm sorry. They did not suffer."

"Good to hear," Zoe leaned against the railing. Jayne was holding the sandbag for his girlfriend, coaching her as she took her rage out. Was this the world she wanted for her child? A world of hatred and war?

"Plural." Zoe glanced down as River's fingers touched separate points on her stomach. "One spark. One spark. They're holding hands."

"Oh." Zoe watched as River's hands spread across her stomach. The girl was special. She knew things others didn't. Reminded Zoe of things she never knew she'd forgotten. Foretold blessings and warned of disaster both. A regular oracle, except she wasn't regular at all, because she was part of their family.

"That alone makes her special." River looked up at her with wide eyes. "Truly?"

"Truly," Zoe nodded. She placed her hands over River's own. "You were right you know."

"Of course she was." She looked up at Zoe once more. "She has never been modest in regards to her abilities."

"Wouldn't have you any other way," Zoe laughed. She wrapped an arm around River's shoulders. "We should probably move away from the stairs. Have a feeling the shuttle's about to dock."

River nodded, moving away from the stairs and Zoe both as she swayed into the kitchen. She was off to see Book. The shepherd had been distraught when they came back with the news. Book's face had paled and very suddenly he was an old man lost in the woods without a guide. His bible said to convert, by force if necessary, but his faith and his soul were screaming that it was wrong.

Zoe hoped Jack didn't do something stupid tomorrow.

~!~

"She needs to go to bed." Mal was giving Jayne a look. "You need to make Jack go to bed."

"Ain't shootin' her up with the doc's smoothers," Jayne argued. The captain had come into his room a few minutes ago. For the last hour and a half Jack had been shouting and crying in Inara's shuttle.

"I'm not talking about drugging her up." Mal got uncomfortable, shifting before he finally let out a breath of frustration. "Wear her out...do...I ain't happy she chose you, but there's worse men and you're prolly the best choice she could have made."

Jayne narrowed his eyes at the captain. It was almost a compliment, probably the closest Jayne was ever likely to get from the captain that didn't relate to his ability to fight, track, or destroy a target.

"Less'n you got plans on a shot gun wedding I ain't touchin' her Mal." The hamster in Mal's head stopped dead in it's wheel, staring at Jayne with much the same look the captain was wearing. "Ain't done nothin' cept maybe some kissin' and a few...no wedding, no ma, no consumatin'."

"You..." The hamster was trying to keep moving. "You're serious?"

"Yeah." Duh. "Kyra ain't likely to calm down 'til she actually gets into the fight. You know that well as I do. Ain't' never been in a real firefight, been in a real battle."

Mal nodded, understanding. "Was hopin' she'd be...hoping to keep her on ship. Know it ain't gonna happen, but a man can hope."

"I hope." Jayne went back to loading his guns. "Gotta trust her Mal. Same as I gotta do."

~!~!~

The next morning had the crew eating quickly before heading off to do their jobs. One last rehash of events. At dusk the shuttles were zipping over to pack in the kids and the elders. Jack and Zoe were in charge of cleaning out the safe and fueling up the ship. Mal was going to be moving along with Jayne and Riddick, taking out the posse one by one in the shadows. Of course, plan B involved arming the townsfolk. There was less chance of peaceful resolution that way; but it was a plan B.

"Grandfather mustn't worry." River was sitting next to Book, ignoring the crew as they went about their business. Team One was heading out now, Mal reminding everyone about their jobs and promising that yes, they were in fact going to head towards a decent market when they were done. Team Two was taking a nap before they went out.

"I know child. I know." He looked out across the table. "It still makes me sad. To know that man is still so far from peace." Book's hand found it's way to rest upon River's head. "One day, one day I know men and women will put this aside."

"Faith."

"Indeed." Book set his bible down and gave River a devious smile. "Such as the faith Mal and your brother have in me to make sure you stay on board."

"You're going to go to sleep?"

"I'm an old man," Book nodded, still smiling. "I also have some bad habits."

"You heard the Beast talking to her. Wanted to take her into the wilds but Daddy said no." River tilted her head as she put it all together. The Beast would wake for her. "The girl thanks her grandfather. Wishes she had you when she was young."

"So do I River. Now go. Run and be young with a handsome young man."

River nodded, kissing Book on the forehead before running up to the crew bunks. Serenity's return home had given everyone a kind bed, bright and shiny and ready to hold their load. The Beast's bunk was unlocked. The lock light was green and inviting as the jungles grandmother told her of and the door of his bunk swung open without a sound. She slid down the ladder, toes easing her weight onto the steel of his floor. No carpet. Her bare feet would make no noise, but he had no carpet.

It was troubling.

No ground cover, refusing to give her gifts...

River stared at the man on the bed. She could see them. The spirits were soft blue, just beneath his skin; she was no threat to him. They did not wake him. Training woke him. Experience woke him. Paranoia jolted him from bed with a knife in hand as moonshine eyes stared at her in narrow slits. She could see his nostrils flare as he took her scent in. The scent of old blood radiated through his haze, the scent of pain and beauty and female. His female.

"I don't like peppermint." His brain was not yet awake. "I will not kiss you if I smell it on your breath."

She could feel him relax, though his mind was becoming more active. Speeding up to process her words. It almost stopped when she moved to sit at the foot of his bed. River could feel her muscles jerking and curling inside of her. Angry with her for not carrying that which it did not want. Was not ready for.

"Don't like the smell of licorice." He propped himself up, watching her in the darkness.

Safety lights illuminated the floor, tracing around the ladder and shining from beneath the bunk. New additions from the Universe. Protecting his investments. His privateers.

"He will be distracted by the scent of her blood tonight." River leaned closer to his cyan form. His spirits were fluttering at her nearness as his heart sped up, deeper breaths savoring her and the natural readiness of her form. "We will run. We will know each others heartbeats and scents."

"No rescue mission, plenty to hunt."

~!~

Zoe had Jack's gun.

Keeping her from making a stupid mistake and costing them the job.

She saw the logic in it. She knew that blowing the old hag's brain out was firmly in the Bad category until such a time as it became okay to open fire on the lot of them. And there were a few hours left until the changeover happened. Quite a few. The only upside of the entire affair was Patience not asking them to enter the chapel with her and the rest of her crew. It wasn't Sunday and the chapel was private to those not a part of her little family.

The way she'd looked at Jack as she shared that, the gentle coaxing from behind her blood red teeth, it dampened her boiling rage to a simmer. That look was dangerous. It wanted things that weren't hers to take.

"She's Mal's to shoot."

"I know." She did know. "Don't want to be near her anyway. I've got this feeling in my gut every time she's in the room."

Jack looked up from her screen. The lockbug program was eating away at every number not in the safe's sequence. By the time it finished, it wouldn't matter which numbers were punched in, the door would open. It worked faster than the decrypting program, but the lock was completely worthless afterward. Of course, that only mattered if the owner was going to be alive after the heist. Like bankers, or doctors, or...people who deserved to live.

"It's almost sundown," Zoe commented, looking out at Patience and her gathering forces. Mercs and scabs, roughnecks and bushwhackers, the kind of person who wanted power but didn't have enough of their own to take it and keep it. "Parasites. All of them."

Jack couldn't help but agree.

"On the upside, we're getting free gas." She looked down at the notification on her screen. "And our shuttles are back home. So we can gas them up too."

The townsfolk were going going to raid Patience's compound alongside the crew for seed and clean water and hygene supplies. A whole room of the house held nothing but soap and lotion and perfume. Loofah's and sponges and razors, all of them sold at outlandish prices, profiting off of religious belief. Patience didn't respect the Korat, but she didn't see a problem making a few platinum off of it either. Probably would have printed off copies if she could.

The sun was setting.

Serenity flew up just as Patience and her men began to ride down into town. Book was the first to exit, still visible to Patience. The look of glee on her face, the light of divine inspiration had the old woman ushering her horse to move faster. Kaylee came out next, peeking around the wall of the ship before waving their helpers out of the ship. Children held tight to fearful mothers, elders hobbled out, enjoying the freedom to walk without thugs staring them down. Doo was leading no less than seven young children off of the ship, standing between them and the world.

The goods in the safe were already boxed up when the three crew members entered the house.

"Where's River?" Zoe asked as Book and Wash hefted two heavy bags.

"She, well, that is to say," Wash looked at Book. "River and Riddick took off together after Mal and Jayne left."

"Oh." Jack opened her mouth before closing it. "Well, that's something."

"Somethin' mighty shiny," Kaylee grinned as she came back in for another bag. "Ain't never seen Riv' lookin' so calm."

"Does Simon know?" Zoe asked.

"Do you honestly think River would be off ship if he did?" Jack asked as she walked out of the safe with the last bag of cash. That thought made her pause. "Why isn't Simon clucking at us?"

"Noticed his absence myself," Zoe admitted.

"He's with Inara back in town. Apparently she's acting nurse tonight." Wash hefted one of the larger bags over his shoulder. "We should hurry before the natives decide to investigate our actions."

Jack and Zoe took the two remaining bags and followed Wash from the house to the ATV waiting just outside the door. Kaylee was waiting for them in the trailer while Book sat in the driver's seat, engine running as he smiled at the passing citizens. It must have been a real picnic at first, a shepherd surrounded by those his faith had attacked, but they were smiling at him as he drove past with the crew. He must have said something. A few somethings if Jack knew him.

Wash and Kaylee jumped off when they reached the ramp, working to fill the ship before the fighting finished and the victor returned. It was making more and more sense, Jack realized. Mal leaving Zoe with her rather than taking his first mate into the fight. A strange, sad sort of sense. If he fell, if this fight didn't pan out as he hoped, Jack would very suddenly have a ship. And she'd need someone to help her keep flying.

"I find myself wondering who is going to be shot this time," Book hummed as he helped the girls hide their haul. There were seven compartments in the ship Mal had only recently learned of. River had found them a few weeks ago. Learning about Mother.

"Not a member of the crew until you get shot," Zoe poked her head from one of the compartments. She took the panel from Jack after she exited, holding it steady while Jack screwed it back on. All three of them moved on to the next hidey hole. "I have a feeling Simon might get his first battle wound."

"Mal," Jack shook her head. "Patience is going to get in one good shot. You know she is."

"Well, whomever it is, we should get the infirmary prepped." Book handed the bag up to Jack. Zoe was not climbing up into the walls. Her choice of course. Kaylee ran back in, past the two f them and up to the spare shuttle as Wash jogged past and towards the bridge. "Then again, perhaps we should hope that it is the divine will of god that none of our crew suffer."

Zoe gave the shepherd a look.

"You do realize which crew you're talking about."

A shudder came from the shuttle as Wash's cursing echoed from the bridge.

"Well, more than usual."

Jack stuck her head out of the nook.

"You do realize which crew you're talking about."

~!~

River peered down from the tree as she watched him hunt. She was not ready yet. The gleam of light on the blade was blue. Cream blue, rubbery and the painful edge cut into her eyes. She had not yet hunted man. Stalked, chased, ran and incapacitated, but she had not shown them Slumber.

He had. Mr. Sandman, sending them to dreams. He glorified in the battle, the rush of blood across his skin, the scent of fear that floated up from their corpses. Jayne did not enjoy it as the Beast did. A means to an end. The job for the cheque. Daddy hated it. Hated what they did even more. Not her Beast. The Beast was made for the hunt. Molded and trained by grandmother and the operatives. The same men who took her had taken him. Drawn them both in with the promise of power and strength. He'd gotten away before they knew what they had.

She saw another light flicker and die. She saw him taste the blood of his enemy before spitting it back out.

"Hype," she whispered from her perch.

"Cophen," Riddick agreed.

They spoke too loud. Daddy and Jayne were staring at them.

"Had to watch." she told them very seriously.

"Be that as it may," Mal hissed. "You, are not very well known for makin' things go smooth Lil' Bit."

"She has not made noise until this moment," River countered. "Has been watching, thinking. You would strike faster if you raised your elbow three degrees."

Mal opened hi mouth to argue until he saw Jayne nodding in agreement.

"True, laggin' a bit."

"Inara said if I raised my elbow too much i'd start to loose speed." Mal crossed his arms. His sleeves were sodden with blood. "Imam agreed."

"Head on sword fight isn't the same as taking a man out." Riddick's rumble seemed to echo through the darkness. "Gotta sneak up on 'em. Slice through like butter before the can make a noise."

"Well noise is gonna be made anyhow ain't it?" Mal scoffed. "Only men left is cavalry, gotta start taking shots." He looked at her. Eyes wondering. "River. You gotta go find Inara and Simon, dong ma? Can't be worryin' over you."

"Don't need to." Riddick jumped up, grabbing hold of the low branch and swinging himself up. "We'll see you in town."

He was waiting for her to start. She wouldn't make him wait long. Daddy had a speech bubbling from his lips and the man named Jayne was hoping. Hoping Jack wouldn't find out, hoping Mal wasn't going to take it out on him, hoping the Beast knew what he was doing. Of course he knew what he was doing.

He was following her.

~!~

Mal was mighty glad Imam was shooting again. The first one down had been a big un dhan, armed to the teeth with two submachines and a small grenade launcher. He'd a crazed look in his eyes yesterday and this afternoon. When his head had disappeared from his shoulders, a fine red mist spreading across his teammates as the bullet continued on and into the chest of the man behind him.

"I suppose I'm sworn to secrecy now."

Inara smiled as she continued to watch. Simon was teasing her, just as she'd teased earlier. The seriousness underlining the joke was as serious as hers had been.

"Well, I'm not entirely certain anyone would believe you."

Inara sat up and looked at the world from another view. She could see the torchlight going out behind Patience and her men. One at a time, two at a time, three men were doing what they could, lessening the load for those still in town. After the elders and the sick had left, after the boys too young to fight had gone, only ten men had remained in the town. Ten men and eight women, each armed and stationed atop buildings and behind shutters. She could see them shaking as they prepared, as Imam had showed them how to hold a gun.

"It certainly makes me wish I'd paid more attention to the olympics." Simon glanced over at her. "Is it true that-"

Inara crouched back down, focusing on her target. Inhale, exhale. Thum-thump. Thum-thmp.

The sound of the rifle echoed only after the man fell dead from his horse.

Thum-thump.

"Always fire between heartbeats," Inara told Simon as she adjusted her scope to the next target. "And always fire on the exhale."

She didn't see Simon nod, instead she saw the horsemen scatter, she saw them pull their guns and ride faster, firing at the buildings, firing at windows and the corners of wagons. Fools.

"Five time champion," Simon's hushed whisper floated across the air.

The townsfolk were firing too. A horse went down, another bucked and rode off, dragging his rider as he ran into the underbrush. Patience was firing wildly at the windows. Exposed as they were, three men had already been hit. Mal could hear them screaming inside of the stone and wood. There were maybe three people hitting their targets. Jayne passed Mal by as he ran for cover behind an overturned wagon. The rear fire had the men starting to panic and Patience had turned from insulted to livid. She knew she'd been betrayed.

Good.

Mal ducked behind a building, eyes watching as Riddick took cover behind the building across from him. Saw him peek into the window before rolling over the sill and into the building, River following close behind with the same animal grace and hard eyes. The alliance had broken something in her.

Gunfire drew him back into the fight. Foolish thing to do, getting distracted by something so silly as a teen girl and he needed to stop sticking his head out. His shoulder stung from the kiss of iron and fire. Some of the men were riding back, running back. Zoe and Jack would take care of them. His focus was on the woman in the silly orange hat. One of Imam's folk managed to catch a thug in the shoulder, a woman, hard and used. Girls like her didn't stay girls long. Followed camps of mercs for an extra buck.

Mal finished her. She'd seen River and pulled her gun. Patience was starting to run and that just couldn't happen. Mal kicked the lantern near his feet, setting the ground alight as the kerosine spilled into the sand, bright and hot. The horse reared, sending the old woman to the ground while Jayne and Riddick continued to pick off those who were hiding. Every so often Imam's rifle was snagging those who hid under and inside.

"Boy!" Patience was calling him out, brazen in the middle of town as her men died around her. "You are stepping into the divine works of God Malcom Reynolds!" Her gun was ready, eyes searching for him and his brown coat. "Get out here you heathen! Get out here and face me!"

"Ain't shootin' me again ya batty old hag!" Mal shouted back. "Give it up, and we'll let these fine folk see 'bout your sentence."

One of the old woman's men was still twitching, shooting towards Imam. There was a shout from the direction. Angery and not Imam. The man was snuffed out a moment later by Riddick.

"No way in hell boy. This here is god's work. 'Verse needs a good cleaning out." She'd figure out where he was, walking closer, but still protected from Jayne and Riddick. Imam wasn't firing at her. Waiting instead for Mal's next move. "You can be one of the first to die for these ragheads. You think I ain't seen what you done to that girl? Think I don't know you're lettin' her lose her way?"

Patience fired when Mal peeked out.

"Ain't god's work ya daffy woman." Mal saw River watching, batting the reaching hand away from her. Didn't' seem entirely strange in that moment. Seemed mighty normal in fact.

A shot came from one of the buildings, grazing the old woman's lower back. She fell to the ground screaming, lips pulled back as a filthy red snarl spread across her face. She fell facing River's direction, saw the girl in the door and fired. Mal stepped out; he wouldn't look to see.

A woman her age shouldn't have been so fast. Her gun was trained on him before his own was raised and aimed.

A fine red mist spread across the ground, followed by the sound of Imam's rifle. Hundreds of little noises erupted around him. Riddick's cursing, pain filled as he growled and roared. A quick glance showed he'd been hit, pushed Riv out of the way and ended up with a big red blossom for his trouble. A flower and a troubled young woman cradling his head in her lap.

Mal saw Jayne popping out of his spot, the mercenary picking the men over for new or useful weapons.

He looked up to Imam, grinning until he saw the marksman. Standing there, upon the edge of the roof was a woman he'd never have expected to hold a weapon. Much less use it. Inara Serra, woman of mystery, amateur demolitions woman, was looking down at him with Death Sentence by her waist.

"Only I get to kill you Mal."

Mal nodded, hooking his fingers through his belts loops. Simon rushed past him and over to Riddick.

"I'll remember that."

"But will you remember to knock?" she teased. The gems in her top were catching the light, her eyes twinkling with the fire of battle and the fire blazing behind him.

"Ah, now that..." Mal grinned. "That might take some work."

The shuttle returned a bit quicker than Mal expected, for the best considering the ever reddening wound on Riddick's stomach. River was still next to him, eyes filled with confusion and admiration, filled with something Mal could only call pride. Strange thing. A rather unhappy thing. Didn't need two of his girls falling for uncouth thirty-somethings.

"Looks like Kaylee wins," Wash called back as they went back to Serenity. The pilot was quick, ducking and diving as he sped them to the compound.

"You were taking bets?" Mal looked over at his overly cheerful pilot.

"Flight crew always takes bets," Wash replied. "On the upside, I win for guessing Riddick took less time to join crew than Jayne did."

Mal was struck by a curious thought. How often did they bet on their captain coming back injured?

"River, please calm him down," Simon urged. Confusing thing to say. Mal turned to focus on the companion instead. Didn't seem the time to have a talk. A talk didn't seem the thing to have. There wasn't any way to be delicate about this situation. Blunt was just plain...wrong.

"How long you reckon til our ambassador turns crew?" Mal asked Wash. But his gaze met Inara's. "Makin' me rethink my career choice."

"You might be pretty Mal, but you're sense of decorum is appealing." Inara was taking the rifle apart and laying the pieces back inside the case. deft hands and practiced actions. "You don't pay attention either." She tapped the wall above her head. A collection of golden medallions glittered against the crimson velvet.

"Always figured they were..." He didn't finish; she had a gun now, didn't she? "Mr. Riddick, a fellow is liable to think you're dying."

"Fuck you Mal!" Riddick was cringing, gripping a bar as Simon finally injected him with a pain killer. He'd been mixing things, searching through his bag and pulling out all sorts of vials before injecting the convict. "Doc, asqoyi will addrivat yeri pansy choyo!

"Shafka vos," River poked the man in his chest. "Simon, he is unmoving."

"I figured it would be best to numb him until the bullet was out of his abdomen," Simon was staring down at Riddick. Not at River. "Don't worry, I'll get it out as soon as we get him into the infirmary."

Mal saw Jayne trying to hold back his laughter and Inara hiding her smile behind a delicate hand. Even Wash was grinning. The doc wasn't much of a fighter, but he knew how to stand his ground with the crazy folk. Crazy folk, talkin' in tongues. No, he wasn't about to have a talk with Inara, but a crew meeting was very close on the horizon. Very Close.

Jack watched with a certain amount of admiration, confusion, and amusement as Riddick was carried into the infirmary. Riddick, the man who'd saved her ass on Hades and Kublai Khan, was being carried on a cot, grinning like the goofiest bastard that ever did live. Laughing even as blood left a trail of droplets on the grating. Simon had gone first, River following close behind the laughing man.

Wash was chuckling as he came over to those who'd remained behind.

"Apparently, Simon found something that both incapacitates and turns a killer into a giggling puppy." A 'woo' noise echoed from the infirmary. "Mal must have told him he was pretty. Or they figured out what organ was hit."

Jack rolled her eyes.

Everyone knew he was going to get hit in the appendix.

~!~

"Gege is being overly cautious, he will not harm her." River was sitting on the cot opposite Riddick's own.

"No. I'm not worried about that." Simon looked down at the increasingly groggy man. He was getting grumpy and staring at everyone with a measure of anger or frustration. The pain killers had worn off but the numbing agent remained. "Would you mind letting me have a moment alone with him?"

River tilted her head at him, staring at him sideways before sliding from her perch.

"Three minutes."

"More than enough time meimei," Simon nodded. He waited until River had left the infirmary before closing the door. He didn't speak until he saw his sister leave for her room. Then he turned to Riddick. This crew had a bad habit of getting shot. And a strangely lucky habit of being shot in the most worthless organ in the body.

"You know what I'm about to say, don't you?" Simon asked. He leaned over the end of the bed, staring Riddick in the eyes. "You also know that I didn't get the same treatment as you and my sister."

"Not worth it," Riddick replied. Not accusing, honest.

"Not to her, no. But I'm the one who got River out of the Academy. The one who broke into the Company's little science fair and set the inmates loose on them." Simon leaned closer. "I'm the one who slashed Mathias open from groin to throat. I shoved a defibrillator in there too." Simon wasn't proud of that fact. Didn't glorify in pain as Grandmother had. The man deserved all that and more. He deserved the constant stream of electricity and all the cooking flesh and more. "I'm the one who got here out here to meet up with you. Just remember that. Hm?"

Simon sat up straight, smoothing his vest out before sliding the door open and leaving.

He hadn't intimidated the man. He didn't need to.

Simon remembered that he was strong enough already.

~!~!~!~

Want to do something fun? Go find Flogging Molly on YouTube and listen to their song Devil's Dance Floor. Riddick and River will pop up as soon as you hear "The color of her eyes was the color of insanity", lol. Side note, I'm thinking on rewriting that scene, to give it more volume and depth.


	13. Mrs Reynolds and Miss Johns

Our Mrs. Reynolds

"This is not Milosz."

"Well aware of that."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"You promised Mal."

"It was on the way!"

Mal turned to face his crew. All of them seemed mighty twisted over their current location and the lack of viable shops. The boys were looking forward to a hardware shop and the girls had been harping on him for quite some time regarding the acquisition of clothing. Hell, even Mal was looking forward to a nice cold glass of vodka, especially after what the Doc had told him the night after Whitefall.

"This rock is right in between Whitefall and Milosz. Need a few bandits taken down, six men ain't nearly so intimidatin' as some old hag and near sixty hired guns." Mal gave his crew a look. What a ragtag bunch of folk. Convicts and fugitives and mercenaries all led by a man in a brown coat. "Small point of interest, they're willing to part with some produce."

Of course his crew perked up at that. Fact was, Whitefall hadn't much in the way of vegetation with Patience hoarding all of the seed. Too much dairy and meat bound a body up, clogged the drains and made for some terrible pains. Whole crew had been faced with the issue of clogging or protein rations for the last week and a half. A bit of running around would be good for them, too much time shipbound tended to lessen a body's ability to dodge.

"No more pitstops. Swear it." Doo barked from beside him. "See? Now go gear up, finish your coffee, get your affairs in order."

~!~

"_Doc, is there a reason we got an aggressive sort of man hollerin' down in the med bay?"_

_Mal had just come from the bridge, annoyed by the foresight his first mate and kid happened to have in regards to saving. They'd gone and hid two of the seven loot bags somewhere in his ship and there weren't a body telling him where; normally he was the one who hid the ship coin, and normally it was a bit less he tucked away. Aside from those two, there was now a tiny little girl was running around on jobs as an efficiency expert, his companion was an Olympic sharpshooter, and a murderous convict was speaking in tongues with one of his girls._

"_He's still numb," Simon explained with a wave of his hand. "River will probably have him silent in a few minutes."_

"_Point of interest doc, your sister ain't all there. She followed us into town." He watched the doctor exhale, deep and drawn, worrying not over his sister, but over something else. The man who'd recently spent every waking moment mother-henning over the girl was seemingly ignoring her actions. "Care to share?"_

"_It's...there are certain rules in my family." Simon looked into his tea as Mal sat down. "Rules I'm not allowed to share without permission."_

_Mal heard Riddick stop shouting. River was down stairs, talking to the convict in the strange, melodious, throaty language. "So why's your sister so stuck on him?"_

"_Grandmother arranged it." Simon took a long draw of his tea, making a face after he swallowed. He wasn't drinking tea at all it seemed, a few seconds later Mal found himself with a glass of scotch as Simon refilled his own. "A long time ago, right after River was born, I remember a phone call between my grandmother and the headmaster of one of the best private schools in the sector. She was checking on her son-in-law." Simon looked up at Mal, the haze of alcohol in his eyes. "Richard Brandon Riddick. River Marie Tam's future husband."_

_The captain was very glad to be sitting in that moment. Two of the alliance's most wanted were engaged and had been since Lil' Bit was born. It didn't bode well for anyone in the universe. Certainly not the bounty hunters of the verse and most assuredly not the law. _

"_So, once she marries Richard, she becomes the head of the Tam family. All of the family fortune goes directly to her, all holdings, everything." Simon laughed lightly. "Even my paycheques."_

"_And your Ma wasn't having it." Mal's jaw set, eyes narrowing as he glowered into the bottom of his own drink. "That's why your folks let her off to that school without doing research isn't it?"_

"_It is, intensely possible my mother knew," Simon sighed. He was thinking again, thinking on how to explain the situation without going against his family's rules. "My mother came from a very high ranking family. When she married my father, she didn't expect to be relegated to second class citizen in her own home." _

_Mal remembered Inara saying something about that. The Tam family was matriarchal, so when Granny decided to give River-child the position, Reagan Tam had sent the heiress off to a school of unknown quality and curriculum. A school she may well have known about according to Simon. The things folk were willing to do for a bit of coin. Hunting down folks, cutting into folks, selling ones own kin. He couldn't imagine sending Jack or Riv off, so they'd get his ship when they got hitched? Good, a child needed a way to eat and he wouldn't have to worry so much. Admitted, he'd rather wait until he was ready to retire, but sending one's own child to a prison..._

"_This, was it round the time Ricky got sent to the slam?"_

_Simon was thinking, the sort of drunken thought process that showed very clearly upon one's face. "I think, it was about a year after he broke out of the first one. The press was having a field day with it and River was defending him, very open about finding a lawyer for him. It sparked a few arguments between my mother and River, especially once grandmother disappeared. Our father was actually looking for lawyers until she left. But, Hurricane Reagan destroyed my family."_

~!~

"Dad!" Jack started climbing into Mal's cabin. "Dad, there's no Cortex access."

Jack held the screen in front of Mal for his inspection. "The only access I get is bouncing from the ship and even that's fuzzy. I need to actually go in and hook my cortex up to the mainframe! No security systems, no audio feed, no electronic locks...no wifi!"

"Welcome to the real world Jackie," Mal laughed at her. "Gonna have to learn to work without it this time 'round."

Jack was not pleased with that explanation. It was in fact, the worst reaction she'd gotten since discovering that the cortex was offline here on Triumph. What the hell was she supposed to do without the cortex? She wasn't much use else-wise, and there wasn't a thing broken on the ship. Inara didn't have any clients for her to organize and she was a lousy shot compared to the rest of the crew. Except maybe Kaylee. And Simon. Maybe Diesel.

"Jackie, I actually do have some work for you to do." Mal stood and herded her towards the ladder, moving closer until she had no choice but to exit his bunk. "Research. Means you'll have to hoof around town, ask questions and look into archives, but there's a time when you can't depend on tech to get everything done."

She settled herself against the wall as she waited for Mal to follow her up.

"All the logistics in the world, all the data every computer can compile doesn't make up for talkin' to a person face to face. Dong ma?" Mal grinned at her. "Most times, what's on paper ain't the truth, isn't that right Richard Serra?"

Jack hadn't even noticed Riddick standing in the doorway to the bridge. He was grinning at her knowingly. He agreed with Mal. She could tell. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that what she heard growing up was usually a bit truer than what she'd heard on the cortex.

"Okay," Jack nodded. "Okay, I can...hoof it I guess."

"Ain't so nice, being without something you know," Mal patted her on the shoulder. "Now go, get into town and find out what you can. Take Ricky with ya."

Jack was certain her Cap'n dad was going to get shanked for that. Especially when Riddick's eyebrow rose.

"All my kids get names," Mal grinned at the man. "You callin' me Dad, well, proves you're kin. Ricky."

Mal walked down to the kitchen, calling out to Inara as he entered said room. Jack turned back to face Riddick, brows raising a his shaking shoulders. He was laughing. Quiet at first until he threw his head back with a wide, maniacal grin. She wouldn't dare say he was giggling, but he he wasn't chuckling either.

"I missed something."

"Picked a helluva crew Jack," Riddick climbed down the steps and into his bunk. He'd picked the one right next to Jayne's and she knew he'd done it to keep an eye on her. Mal on one side and Riddick on the other? The chances of Jayne giving her any attention were equal to a snowball's chance on Hades. Then again, if it rained, the planet must have some sort of winter. Too much cold and night, the water must freeze eventually. Winter on Hades, stuck in the cold dark, that sounded miserable. Twenty-two years of sunshine and death, followed up by a few months cold, frozen death.

Jack shook the thought from her head. Hades always found it's way into her thoughts. Not all the time, not every day or even every week, but every so often it would appear. Usually when she was frustrated by something beyond her control or comprehension. It was popping up a bit more than usual since the Tams boarded. They were pretty good at saying things that she didn't always get. Wash too. But his nonsensical ramblings had to do with dinosaurs, not Science and Medicine.

She dropped her non-functional cortex off with Inara before heading down into the bay and hopping on the ATV. Riddick would get down there eventually, and if he didn't he'd catch up to her. They weren't too far from town, but honestly she wanted a chance to talk to him without her sister watching or her meimei talking or Jayne posturing or Cap'n Dad being all protective. She just wanted a bit of time to reconnect and hang out with the man.

Something sharp was at her neck.

"Loosin' your touch Jack."

"Never had much of one," she spoke instead, starting the ATV. He climbed on, his back to hers as she pulled out of the bay. "Can I expect to see you after we leave Milosz?" She didn't mean to ask it so soon. It just kind of spilled out. "I just, It's nice having you around. Whole family, you know?"

It was a few moments before he spoke. They were nearly in town by then and Jack was worrying that he wasn't going to answer her at all. Worried she might have made things weird.

"Fry asked me if I wanted to rejoin the human race, rejoin the civilized world." She could feel his voice rumbling through her back. "Told her the same thing I'm telling you. I don't know how."

Jack couldn't help the grin on her face.

"Haven't your heard? Our crew isn't civilized."

She sped up, happy when she felt his rumbling laugh again. It had been a long time since she'd been near him. He'd saved her life as often as he put it in danger, showed her how to use and load the gun she'd grabbed off of the batty bitch of Kublai, and while she'd had a crush on him before, he'd shown her what made a nice man and what made a good man.

"So where were you?" Jack finally asked.

"Ice planet. The locals weren't too friendly, tasted like shit to eat."

"Worse than Simon's cooking?" Jack snorted.

"Not by much. The girl...River..."

"She's got a crush on you, yeah." Jack ducked as they went under a branch, not a big one, but enough to sting if it hit. "Apparently she likes that you can keep up with her." And some few other things, Jack was sure.

Late at night, River had crept into the shuttle and crawled up onto the bed with the Serra sisters. She'd questioned and wondered, unsure if her reaction was programmed into her by the academy or if her grandmother had convinced her he was hers or if she genuinely enjoyed his presence. She wondered and questioned the sort of girl men wanted and if she should show concern over the age, was it appropriate to desire someone so much younger and if so, would he seek out someone younger when she became too old. Inara had nipped that thought in the bud, suggesting that perhaps they work on becoming crew before River thought about becoming his lover.

"Knew her gran."

Riddick hadn't shared that bit of information before.

"Really?" Jack turned as they approached a tree. The road wrapped around said flora, but ATV's and people did not. "How?"

"Put me through school. Sent me to Valetiel, then to New Cambridge." He ducked with her this time. "After that, I ended up in Strikeforce. They were training me to be an officer."

"Man in uniform huh?" How irnoic, that the man who wore the badge had arrested the man who had earned it. It explained a lot about him though. The lord of all he purveyed because for some reason ever New-Came grad acted that way. Knew more than most cons about weaponry and tech too. Maybe not so much about hacking, jack couldn't imagine him in that role, but he was way more educated than other thugs and criminals she'd come across in her life. "How'd you end up in the slam?"

"Saw something I didn't like."

She knew the discussion was over. He never liked to tell people about things he didn't like, particularly when it had to do with life and death.

"So they threw you in jail because of it."

"Got it in one."

The town was on them before long, the folk watching them with furrowed brows and worried expressions. An old lawman was napping on the porch, oversized and inept, a bottle of gutrot hanging from his fingers. It was the parishman who approached them first. His face was drawn with worry and he looked like a man determined to right the wrongs in his world. That was a dangerous look for anyone to be having these days.

"We aren't taking visitors," the parishman told them in no uncertain terms.

"Heard you had a pest problem is all," Jack shrugged. "My captain thought we aught to be good Samaritans, but..." She started the vehicle up again. "I'll tell him we don't have anything to do."

"Told him folks don't want charity," Riddick grumbled. "Needs to keep on with paying jobs."

"Now wait just a minute."

Jack had to hide her grin at the preacher-man's words.

~!~

"River?" Simon moved closer to his sister, watching as she stared down into the empty bay. The crew was milling about, prepping to go on a job or just plain milling about. Kaylee was one such person doing neither. She was in fact, laying out in the sun in the very smallest dress Simon had ever seen her wear.

"Gege is distracted by copper smiles."

"I, River, I came to ask if you were okay." Not to talk about Kaylee.

"She is acceptable. Would make a good match."

"Where's your 'good match'?" He asked instead, moving to sit beside her on the grating.

"Richard is with Kyra, relearning each other. Just as Simon must meet her once more." River looked at him. "He doesn't want to meet the new sister. Wants the old one. The girl Reagan sent away."

"She's the only one I know." Simon sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "I just want to know that there is something I can still talk to you about. A commonality."

River's hand rest atop his.

"The same blood runs in our veins Simon. He is her brother. Always will be." River looked back a the bay doors. "She forgets sometimes, that she is not the only one with a brother."

Simon didn't understand until Jack and Riddick rode in some twenty minutes later.

"River...I know that Grandmother picked him, but...how much do you actually know about him?" Simon was watching her just as she was watching those below them. He could see her fading. He could see the fog of madness spreading across her mind. "I know, it's not technically my place, but, I would ask that you spend a bit more time courting him. "

River looked at him, her gaze piercing through the haze.

"Please, I worry. As your brother, as someone who cares about you."

"Does not want her hurt. Want's her to remain as whole as possible. Remove the scars from her soul."

"That is the gist of it," Simon nodded. "Please River. I'll make it a boon if I have to, just-"

"She will do it. No boon." River squeezed his hand as her gaze settled on the murderer below them. "The old ways are not the best ways. They are the only ones left. They must rewrite the world."

Simon pulled her closer and rest his chin upon her hair as he felt her continue to lose herself. Diesel's claws tinked upon the steel and soon Simon could feel a warm patch from the dog's breath against his thigh. Even when the world was open for his enjoyment, he was sitting here and watching over River. Be it the dog or the doctor himself thought on, Simon wasn't sure. It was true in either case.

"Malcolm, why are you in my shuttle?"

Inara closed her robe about herself, wondering what it was about this man that made her feel so very exposed.

"Wanted to apologize, Makin' a small pitstop before Milosz, shouldn't take more'n a day." Mal looked around her shuttle, eyes resting on the collection of medals upon her wall. "Figure now that you're likely to actually hit me, I should make it a point not to upset your schedule so much."

"Thank you," Inara nodded. "I'll be sure to adjust my appointments." Like the appointment at the spa, the plan to buy new silks on Wednesday, not to mention the plan to sit around and enjoy her retirement. She was still trying to fit in the appointment to tell Mal she'd retired.

"I'd also like to know how often you plan on taking part in our sordid affairs."

Inara had been wondering when that question would pop up. She'd been anticipating in fact, thinking how she could link his question to her confession.

"To be honest Mal, I was considering..."

She didn't have a chance to finish. The crew was calling for him down in the bay. A loud chorus of 'Dad' and 'Mal' and 'Cap'n' rang from below. The revving of the mule -dying as it was- echoed up and rather than stay in the shuttle, Mal stuck his head out and shouted down at them. Only a halfhearted to call to continue the conversation later marked that he was still somewhat invested in her answer. Damnable man. Honor he may well have, but when it came to noticing his surroundings...

~!~

Vaako didn't flinch when another body was dragged past him. Their lord marshal was growing paranoid, firing upon every scion who dared move too fast, enter a room to quickly, speak too loud. Two of his commander's had fallen in the last Unified Cosmic Month. One for each planet purged in this heathen system.

Vaako stood still, quiet, waiting for Zhylaw to acknowledge him. It didn't take long for the marshal to look up from his war map of the Helion system. The elemental was in chains at the head of the table, face drawn as she watched the map at listened to the planned destruction of her home. Her calculations had hit an unknown though powerful variable on New Mecca. An entire family had escaped with the aide of the Furyan. Four people had fled to Persephone, fled from the Reaper to the warm embrace of a death god. Right into the core of abomination and sin.

"Vaako. I trust your wife has been seen to?"

"I would request permission to renounce the dame." Vaako pulled his shoulders back before continuing. "Her actions are damning, her words poisonous."

"No. No, I need to root out the rest of her web." Zhylaw smiled at him, placing a hand upon his shoulder. His touch was calming, euphoric almost, certainly fearsome. "I know the look within your eyes Vaako. The need for battle is bright in them."

The lord marshal pulled him closer to the table and pulled up a capture. A single ship was pulling away from a planet, breaking orbit and heading quickly towards someplace else.

"This is the ship that left Helion 5. Track it. Find the pilot, and kill him."

The elemental spoke up before Vaako could question him.

"Riddick has undoubtedly discarded the vessel." The elder was smiling at them, though her eyes held a hint of doubt. "Any pilot you find will be little more than a waste of time. The Furyan will come for you Lord Marshal."

"Find him, _question him_, and kill him." Zhylaw spoke to Vaako, though he glowered at the elemental. "Take a squad of your best men. I need you to kill Riddick." He smiled at Vaako. "Of course, if you find anything else along the way, you are certainly welcome to her."

A wife of his own choice. His first wife had been a mission, decided by Zhylaw in an effort to discover one of the larger plots against his life. Neidra has beautiful, seductive and dangerous, but she was too dangerous and she used sex as a weapon rather than out of affection. If he brought a war bride into his home, she might jump to real weapons. Her plans would become more aggressive and the Lord Marshal would be in yet more danger. She would be caught all the quicker.

"And Dame Vaako?" Neidra would try everything to keep her place.

"I have several wives," Zhylaw waved, turning back to his map. "My First should be allowed two."

Vaako nodded, saluting before heading to collect his men.

~!~

Why she and Zoe were in back of the wagon while Mal played pretty little wife...never mind. It had the word pretty in it. Jack held back a snort at the realization, only to find herself holding yet more down as Mal-linda began in on Jayne. Zoe had to bite her cheek and even Riddick had his head bent. They'd been going back and forth at it since they'd started the trek, acting the part and adjusting their voices every so often. No, make it higher. No, that's too low and grumbly. Well you forgot to turn the tea kettle off.

The list went on, but it was the thunder of hooves that finally made those in the back stop snickering. Men were shouting and guns were fired into the air. When the leader spoke up, Jack shifted to look through a hole in the canvas. You always needed a count when it came to your enemy. She could see two from her side, combined with Riddick's single digit and Zoe's two, they had their bullets ready.

"Five in the back." Jack's whisper to the front was low, barely enough for those in front to hear her. Especially when leader boy was talking about getting intimate with the 'missus'.

"Oh, I think you might wanna reconsider that last part," Jayne grunted out. He'd fallen into his slow southern twang, the one that only came out when he was very tired. "See, I married me a pow'rful ugly creature."

"How can you say that?" Mal's high falsetto resounded into the small space, bringing a slight smile back to those in wait. "How can you shame me in front of new people?"

"If I could make you purtier, I would," Jayne snorted before spitting. "Reckon I'd make you a better cook too."

"You are not the man I met a year ago!"

The rustle of cloth as Mal and Jayne both stood had Jack pulling the wagon cover down; Zoe and Riddick pulled their guns on the bandits around them. Zoe's gun was charged and ready to fire, the soft whine unmistakable while Riddick had grabbed up a big gauge from Jayne's wall of weapons. Neither was willing to admit Jayne was bribing the man for alone time with Jack. The horsemen were looking a bit nervous now, some fingering the trigger of their weapons while others were very ready to bolt.

"Now think real hard," Mal cocked his gun. "You been bird-dogging this township a while now and they wouldn't mind if your next visit was in a corpsified fashion." Jack aimed her gun at one of the men with a creeping hand. "Now, you can luxuriate in a nice little jail cell like my boy Ricky done, but if that hand gets any closer to that gun, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."

It took a good second for the crew to keep from laughing. It was the gunshots that had them sobering up.

~!~

Inara was rather surprised when Mal came to request her presence at the village celebration. Kyra had invited her moments before, and she was intending to go if only for the experience, but Mal had actually asked her to accompany him. He 'd started drinking though. And if Inara knew anything about the 'enigma' that was Malcolm Reynolds, it was that alcohol turned him into a giant kid.

Kyra was facing the same issue, but instead of getting annoyed, she'd gone to fetch River.

Now, three, dark haired women, fair of skin and slender in build, were sitting around a small fire and watching the night pass. Inara had the feeling they looked like a coven from the looks they kept getting. A coven of witchy sisters, a hacker, a sniper, and a psychic...they could be fairly dangerous if they wanted to be.

"Mind and body and soul," River sang as she rumpled the skin of Diesel's face. The dog's tongue was lolling as he played with his youngest human. "Saw the captain with one, broke the deal with one, the beast keeps one."

Inara didn't understand until Riddick joined them a few minutes later. He looked too close to feral. There was a slight spatter of blood on his knuckles, the skin faintly split by teeth. Moments ago she'd seen a young man walking past them quickly, hand to his nose as blood dripped down his shirt. As much as he ran from River on ship, he didn't seem to want anyone else near her on dirt. It made her grin, though Inara would never do something like grin in public. So she smiled. It was as close to cute as the two of them could get.

Mal's loud Whoop grabbed her attention away from the two. It seemed he'd moved from pretty floral bonnets to pretty flower crowns. He was a strange man.

"So, are you three drinking?" He sat on the ground, leaning against the log River had taken for her own.

"Sipping," Jack admitted. Her cheeks were rosy and the giggle implied more than just sipping.

"We have a fourth glass if you'd like to join us," Inara offered. She poured before Riddick could answer, offering him the crystal just as she'd offered River. He was part of her family, and family celebrated together. They certainly drank together. Her family did. Not that River was drinking very much, she'd only had a glass or two.

"Ninety-eight?" Riddick asked.

"From Nuveau-Napa," Inara nodded. "I never took you for a wine drinker Richard."

"Normally I prefer something else," he admitted. "But I'm on probation."

Inara may have been lightly tipsy, but she knew a satisfied smile when she saw one. River was happily displaying hers.

"It was the mint, wasn't it?" Kyra asked, trying not to snort into her glass.

After the two agreed, she explained to the eldest what the issue was. It didn't take long before all four of them were giggling, chuckling, or laughing into their glasses; three empty bottles had created a clinking pile in front of them. Sometime between the second and third, however, Inara became witness to something beautiful. Something centuries old that had and would continue to carry on throughout time. The gift of a male to his mate.

Inara had been watching as a woman offered Mal a drink, the fire in her wine encouraging her to get up and say something, when Kyra had tugged on her sleeve and pointed out what was happening next to them.

The Beast had pulled something from his pocket, something small and ivory white. Carved upon and polished and carrying the feeling of time and determination. He'd taken it from a guard who got too grabby in Slam City.

"His first trophy," River hummed as she took it; She held it between her fingertips, turning it in the firelight to see the many designs Inara's eyes could not. "Their ways?"

"Always."

Inara and Kyra watched as River offered her neck to the convict. Did River trust him so much? Riddick's fingers grazed the skin of her neck as he took the braid between his fingers and Inara realized why River had been so insistent that Inara replace the braids in her hair. She watched through wine hooded eyes as the man slid the band from River's braid and slid the bead into her hair. The gentleness between them was intimate, an action Inara felt honored to glimpse, and the feeling between them was something she'd never thought of before she met Mal. She was hardly aware when she started crying.

"It's just so beautiful," Inara spoke in a watery laugh.

Riddick snorted, though to anyone sober they might have seen the fainest hint of pink on his cheeks. Assuming they had good eyesight in the dark. River smiled back at her, fair skin displaying a blush for the world to see as she played with her new decoration. Inara nearly cried again when River gave the man a peck on the cheek.

~!~

Simon stood in the doorway of the Serra shuttle. Contrary to what he may have thought, Jack had not retired into Jayne's bunk last night. She was curled up next to her sister, the normally refined woman laying at the edge of the bed while an expensive looking urn rest on the floor under her mouth. She hadn't gotten ill though, the scent of the shuttle consisted only of incense and the scent of the hungover. Simon had come to this shuttle looking for River; Kaylee had only talked him into a few drinks last night. He seemed to be the only close to sober person on the ship.

He also seemed to have found River. She was sleeping on the couch, curled up against the chest of one Richard B. Riddick while her legs rest between his own. He could see the bead hanging from her braid as well. Probably a finger bone if the size was any judge. The doctor sighed before turning away from the shuttle. His sister was making the convict carry through with the courting ritual, a good two to three months according to what little grandmother had taught him. That should be enough time, hopefully.

He glanced back.

If only he could keep her from drinking.

~!~

Jack helped Zoe move one of the many crates further back into the cargo hold. The townsfolk were milling in and out, depositing produce and fresh bread in the designated containers for each. The sound of so many feet on steel combined with the light of the setting sun made Jack's head ache. The physical labor Zoe had insisted on made her stomach turn. Cap'n dad's constant pokes in her head and side were just plain cruelty. River was being allowed to sleep in all day; hangover was punishment enough in the officer's eyes. Lucky brat.

When Zoe went to inspect the beeping of the ship radio, Jack took a moment to look around herself and see just what was happening. Inara was leaning against the railing, watching everyone with feigned serenity; Kyra knew for a fact that Inara's headache was enough to split the ship's hull. Simon was ducking out of the shuttle, grinning as he glanced back to it's suffering occupant. That alone was enough to make Kyra feel a little better, Simon smiling was far better than Simon mother-henning. Riddick was helping Jayne to the side, lifting the larger crates. A part of her surprised he'd drank so much last night, but another part was glad that he trusted the crew so much. Zoe ran past her once more, all semblance of relaxation gone and First Mate face in full effect.

"Mal, there's patrol boat heading into atmo right now."

She could see Riddick tense up out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, we gotta fly," Mal nodded tot he elder.

"We'll pray for your safe voyage," Elder Gommen nodded to them. "And I hope to lay eyes on you again 'ere too long my friend."

"You can count on it," Mal nodded as he came up the ramp, waving his farewells.

"Bye now!" Jayne waved as well.

The final few crates were strapped down and each crew member could feel as the ship lifted off and into the sky. Even Mal helped to arrange their load, as small as it was. When they felt themselves break through atmosphere and level off, each seemed to relax once more. Calmer than they had been even last night, knowing that there was no risk of being trapped. Except there was, because they werent' in the black. And that alone was enough to make everyone on the crew a bit twitchy.

Mal looked at all of them, grinning as he put his hands on his hips.

"Right then, who's up for a trip to Milsoz?"

~!~

"Shit!"

Jack jerked up faster than she should have when Zoe's head rang out over the intercom. The tech girl had been checking the boards for new jobs, knowing that they weren't going to just land on Milosz without something to make Mal happy, and at some point she'd fallen asleep in her chair. When Zoe's voice called out, she'd fallen from said chair and onto the cold steel floor. It didn't help that Wash was laughing at her for it. Stupid pilot. Jack tossed her scarf at the ginger before pushing herself up.

"Wifey calls," Wash managed out between his snorting giggles. He handed her scarf back. "Maybe Mal has agreed to go to Vladimir."

"I'm not getting off the ship if he did." Jack followed the pilot down into the bay, noting that River had somehow managed to crawl out of Inara's shuttle. Then again, Riddick was sipping tea by th stove, it was more likely he'd carried her out. She didn't seem to be too badly damaged from last nights activities. "C'mon meimei, Cap'n Dad's got something' he wants to say."

"Something he'd rather not," River hummed as she rose slowly from her seat.

Jack didn't wait for her, instead she followed Wash down into the bay, second behind Book and Kaylee. She saw the blonde before she even made her way down the stairs. Correction, strawberry blonde like that idiot Johns. If this chick had blue eyes...

"God damnit," Jack cursed as she came to a stop beside Mal. She ignored Book's look, instead preferring to peer at the bad omen shrinking into herself. "Dad..."

"Who's the new recruit?" Book's question cut off Jack's poorly worded one. It wasn't that she felt like being rude, it was more that she didn't want more family. She didn't want to have to make another pitstop, and she sure as heck didn't want to have to teach some dirt girl how to live in the black.

It was Zoe who introducd the woman. The first mate settled her hands on the woman's shoulder.

"Everybody, I want you to meet..." Zoe grinned wide. "Mrs. Reynolds."

Jack's jaw dropped in shock before she turned to see Mal just as confused as she felt. Kyra looked over to her sister. Too much had happened last night; not enough had happened last night. This was going to be sorted out, and soon. Preferably before Milosz and preferably some place they could dump this woman. Was she really crying?

"You got married?" Kaylee's excited squeal was perhaps the only happy voice in the room.

"Well, that's...uh," Simon pursed his lips. "I was expecting someone else to get married before you did."

"We'd always hoped you two kids would get together," Wash joked. His arm was wrapped around his own wife, the only wife that belonged on this ship. Until Jayne took her home, but that wasn't important right now. "Who is she?"

"She's no one!" Mal shouted. His tempr was getting loose.

"Captain!" Kaylee put an arm around the now crying girl.

"Is he wrong?" Jack asked her copper haired friend. "And quit crying, whoever you are." It only seemed to make her cry harder.

"All three of you better stop what each of ya is doin'," Mal scolded them. "Jackie, be civil. Kaylee, stop coddling, you...stop crying."

"Hey sweetie." Kaylee didn't stop coddling, in fact, she seemed to draw the woman closer. "Don't feel bad. They make everybody cry, it's some kind of Reynolds thing." Kaylee turned to look at the both of them. "It turns the men into some kind of monster."

"I'm not a monster!" Mal snapped. He turned to Wash and the two began to discuss turning around and it's declining possibilities.

What the heck had gotten into Kaylee? She knew Inara had feelings for the captain. She also knew that captain was less grumbling around the recently retired companion, even if the only people who knew were Serras and Tams. Kyra looked over to her sister once more, leaving the center of the circle to go to the elder woman. She could see Simon dart out of the room and she Jayne was trying to reign his laughter in. Kyra instead climbed the two stairs needed to face her sister. River was hiding behind her, face hidden by her own hair as she watched the world move around her. Kyra hand't even noticed her meimei show up. Doo was sitting on the grating next to them, leaning against River.

"I'm sure it's a mistake," Jack whispered lowly to Inara. "One more pitstop, yeah?"

"One more," River agreed, wrapping her arms around herself. "It will be cold."

"If all else fails I'm sure I could shoot one of them," Inara managed to laugh. Her heart wasn't in it. This needed to be resolved before Kaylee got too attached and Mal resigned to a fate not his own. And Jayne needed to stop laughing with Riddick.

"Would you stop crying?" Mal begged the unnamed blonde.

"For God's sake Mal," Inara's voice wasn't angry, nor was it loud, but it was enough to settle everyone. Mal stared back at her, a conversation exchanged between them that Kyra would never know. "Could you act like a human being for thirty seconds?"

"As one married man to another..."

"I'm not married!" Mal's shout was joined by at least two other voices claiming much the same. It made an interesting sound, two women mixing with the voices of two men. Jayne really was smart, and the captain was explaining himself to the blonde. "I'm sorry, you have...some very nice...qualities, but I didn't marry you."

"I believe you did." Book had claimed one of Simon's plascreen books and was holding it up much like a lawyer would hold a case file. "Last night."

Mal leaned closer to Jayne, whispering something into his ear. Jayne's reply obviously wasn't helpful; thy stopped whispering when Book continued to speak. In fact, all of them went silent as Book recited exactly what all of them had seen last night. Even through a haze of wine and ale, they had all seen what had happened.

"What's it say about Divorce?" Mal asked a moment later.

The woman broke into tears, pushing her way past Jack and Inara to go hide. Kaylee started shouting at Mal in Chinese, words Jack still hadn't managed to memorize in all the time she'd been here. Before Jack could say anything in response to Kaylee's words, Inara excused herself, climbing the stairs in a whirl of silk and perfume. Damn it all. Jack turned to go after the woman, the blonde woman, but found herself being held back by Mal.

"Not you Jackie, let me."

"Really think you're the best one to talk to her sir?" Zoe's question was an honest one, neither accusing nor defending.

"Considering two of my girls want her dead and the rest of you think it's a great big joke, yes." Mal followed after the woman with a stern face and fixed shoulders. Jack turned to go back up the stairs and see to her sister, herding River towards the same place with Doo's help. Riddick an Jayne were still chuckling on the otherside of the bay and Simon had begun a discussion with Book regarding marriage customs. It was Kaylee's call that stopped her. In the middle of the stairs, just as River was finally starting to move without jerking.

"Why can't ya'll just be happy for the captain?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Because it means being happy my sister just had her heart broken." Jack turned back to River and the stairs, ignoring the questions and the whispers below. "You think you'll be okay with us Riv?"

"Tears wash away the pain," River whispered. Doo had yet to release her from his contact, even going so far as to hold her hand gently between his teeth. "The beasts like her. Love her. Inavva believes she has lost her Monster."

"Until we get this thing sorted out she kind of has," Kyra pointed out.

"I guess I didn't really think about that, did I?" Kaylee asked Zoe. Wash had joined Simon and Book and the highly philosophical debate regarding religious ceremony. "But, shouldn't we be happy? Or at the least be nice to...I actually don't even know her name."

Zoe gave her a soft smile. "Nice, sure, but not happy. What if Simon had gotten married to Jack last night? Or if Jayne was the one to get stuck in this mess?"

"That's different," Kaylee protested. "The captain can't have Inara, and she can't have him. They should at least be happy that the other can find someone."

"Except Mal didn't find someone," Zoe pointed out. She turned to see her husband gesticulating wildly as he explained one of the courting rituals of New Vega. "I'll talk to you later. My mister needs to be reigned in."

~!~

This was the first time Riddick saw himself as anything other than a convict in a long time. He and River were sitting in the kitchen again, the dog shifting where it lay by her feet as the scent of tea drifted through the air. A few minutes ago he'd been laughing down in the bay with Jayne and Wash. Jayne was an okay sort of man, a merc in name, but a crewman in spirit and unwilling to do anything that might upset Jack. Especially if Jack was likely to find out. The man hadn't even retaliated for the punch Riddick had given him that first day. Wash was a decent guy too. Over active, scared of the large men on either side of him, but not scared enough to be afraid. He was aware that he was no fighter. He knew that pissing of dangerous men was a bad idea. He was also very impressed that Riddick had been talked into juggling geese before being sent to the slam. He had been very drunk and on his first day of leave.

It was the scent of Jack and Inara that sobered him up. He could smell rage and fear and sorrow in the air. The scent of anguish bit at him and scratched at his senses and from the look of things Beautiful she was suffering from it even now. Last night didn't help at all, he was sure.

Last night, she'd fallen asleep in his arms. The scent of her clung to him just as his scent covered her. It kicked that primal part into high gear, made his beast purr as the man growled. She was wearing his gift too. His first stint had been dedicated to that bead; two years of carving down the bone. When he'd offered it last night, fire in his blood and her eyes, she'd smiled at him. The first time he'd ever seen her smile. Richard wasn't falling; he'd fallen years ago.

"Smiles and laughs do nothing to stop the steel." River's voice was distant. An echo from the other side of time, spoken by a sphinx. "Will not gobble him up if he fails."

"Psychic sphinx."

Riddick set his tea cup on the table, still surprised that he was in a place he could do just that. Set something down and know it would be there when he came back for it. He was surprised to be allowed near women too. Too many years on the run and doing back door deals meant the only women who came near him were the ones who wanted money from him. The price on his head or the price of their bed, it didn't matter. They wanted his cash. The people on this boat though, they reminded him of the good days in Strikeforce. People watching out for one another, taking on they missions they wanted to for decent pay. There was a time he'd wanted nothing more than to be free of such things.

"The Beast regrets. Wonders if he could have stayed a Man."

Riddick poured her a cup of tea before answering. Two decades of instruction didn't break because of seven years on the run. Everyone else could go fuck themselves, he was doing this right.

"Nah, know I could never be a man." He looked at River, finding her eyes in between the mess of curls. "If I turned into a man, you wouldn't have a Beast."

River hid behind her hair again when the temporary Mrs. Reynolds came in, looking intent. Meek people rarely looked determined, and when they did, it was time for everyone else to watch where they stepped. She barely adjusted herself when she noticed the two furyan's siting at the table, merely bowed her head and began looking through the shelves and cabinets. She was an odd one. Just accepting that she'd been sold, falling into the role of wife without batting an eyelash or bothering to ingratiate herself.

"Janus rising," River hummed, laying on her arms. She was obscured fully from his view. "Chaos abounds as the river of time flows ever forward. She must wear a veil on Milosz."

"Figured you might have to. Inara wants me to play guardian when we get there."

"Masks can be torn away," River's voice was muffled. "Like the peel of an orange. An apple is hiding beneath the rind."

Riddick had no idea what she was saying. He didn't speak River-talk, not yet at least. Maybe a few more weeks, maybe when she'd adapted to what had happened in the New and Improved Strikeforce Academy. Maybe never. The scent of food being prepared had the both of them aware of the hunger beginning to make itself known. It was almost the wrong scent to a soured stomach; he could feed them quickly, get out of the kitchen. Nothing big, the light haired woman seemed to be trying to push him out of the kitchen altogether. Trying to send him off, offering to help his wife prepare his dinner if he was hungry.

"Got a brain in my head and two hands," Riddick ignored her as he searched the pantry. This close he could scent the blonde. She smelled cold, like frost and winter, not dust and hard work. The scent of soap was less than a few days old and she didn't move like a woman beaten down."My girl isn't exactly feeling great."

"You would serve a woman?" The Woman asked him as he grabbed a pack of crackers and peanut butter from the top shelf. An apple had been hiding up there beside them, hidden away by a certain psychic, he was sure. The blonde was too close. "Willingly, knowing she is able bodied?"

"Your planet has their ways." Riddick backed away from her. "We got ours."

"But, to serve a woman goes against god's will." The Woman was focusing less and less on her task. She gave Riddick a look of confusion and petulance. "Colossians 3:18, Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as is befitting those belonging to the lord."

"Yeah well, god can kiss my ass." Riddick seated himself as River began to organize the things he'd deposited on the table. He pulled his knife loose from it's sheathe, satisfied when he heard the Woman make a sound of surprise, and began to peel the apple he'd found.

"Broken book," River pointed out. She was still hiding behind her hair. "Improbable events combined with temporal anomalies and physical impossibility." Her head tilted her head and she silk shifted. "Broken skull. She can hear every creak and every creak. Regrets lack of sympathy towards the family."

"It's called a hangover," Riddick chuckled as he fed the peel to the Diesel. "Weird dog." He glanced over once more and her talk of masks made sense. "Qemmolat hatif?"

She made a sound for the affirmative, amusement weaving its way in between the madness and the haze. "Dik ezok. Maegi..." She leaned against him. "Zhikhat."

Mal entered the room some moments later, face drawn as he thought on what they were going to do now. He'd heard what Wash said before. Some rich kid was playing at robbers and now his uncle was looking for blood. They had two choices now, drag her to Milosz for the next week and a half or kick her off some place closer. Except every planet between here and Milosz was Alliance run or had a warrant for each of them. Mal seated himself across from them and opened his mouth to speak, jumping when a plate was placed in front of him.

"Thank you."

She didn't move. The look of confusion on Mal's face was enough to make the convict grin as he ate the slice of apple from his knife. Beautiful's small whimper made him slice off another piece, watching as Mal tried to shoo his new wife away. Captain got serious when River's teeth hit the steel. Apparently he wasn't overly fond of seeing a murderer feed a teen girl like a pet.

"Saffron, I need to talk with Ricky here about his intentions with my youngest."

"The girl is yours?" Saffron asked. She was genuinely surprised. Shocked even that someone like Mal could have a child. She seemed to recover quick enough. "Had I known your blessing was not given, I would not have stood idly by."

"Now hold on just a minute," Mal held up a hand. "Last night might have happened but the fact of the matter is you got no say in how my family runs itself." He turned to face Riddick and River once more. "So happens I ain't got much say in it either seein' as her gran was the one set them together."

"Blabbering Simon," River grumbled. She was sitting up more fully now. "Ruined the surprise."

"Not like Kyra and Inara didn't already know." Riddick continued to eat, watching the Saffron from behind his goggles. He wanted to take them off. See as best as he could in the dim kitchen, but not yet. Not in front of her and not in front of the crew until he was sure.

"You, they..." Mal was looking flummoxed and Saffron was hemming by his side, looking between one man and the other. "They guessed didn't they?"

Wash and Zoe came in as River answered the affirmative. The spice woman was thinking in circles, wondering how to get around the family, thought she only had to fool a single man. Thought she need only fool two men. Thought she need only avoid on angry girl before making her home. Too many variables. Angry girl was a daughter. Sickly girl was a daughter, married to the Beast, no opening in between them. None she could see yet. Would try.

Would anger Zoe. Create a rift, a new opening.

"Too small," River hummed as she rest her head against the wood once more. "Too loud."

Her stomach made a noise, interrupting the meaningless words of the maegi. Brother Wash wanted to know if there was more. Feeding himself, but the family as well. Certainly this tiny bird. Circular thoughts, a child's thoughts. Irregular, logical in a way only known to the thinker. Working as they should to create the desired outcome.

"If you're done with supper...would you like me to wash your feet?"

She'd never heard a person's thoughts come to a complete stop. Heard the expression, knew the data proved otherwise. She heard them stop. Too much shock and confusion before stutter to a start once more, trying desperately to turn and figure out the Saffron's words. The Amazon felt disgust and annoyance, Wash thought only of geese juggling, and Daddy was trying desperately to block the image of Inavva kneeling before him.

"Will be sick." River rose from her place. "Goodnight Daddy."

"Ya know, Jackie might be openly aggressive, but River is just kind of...mean."

"Noticed that." Zoe was still watching the door River and her apparent fiance exited from. Secrets didn't keep very long on the ship, especially when a woman's mister opened up the intership comm-system to root out secrets. Zoe had been up there with him the night Simon spilled all over a bottle of scotch. Strange people, the Tams, not nearly so strange as the resident Serra's though. It seemed like something from a romance novel; the companion who left her life behind for a roguish captain from the rim. The fact that it was really happening, with Her captain of all people, made this entire month surreal.

"Wanna bite?"

Zoe smiled as he husband offered her one of the bao, glad that while strange, she and her mister were happy.

"I'll be stopping on Milosz within the next two weeks. City of New Moscow, estimated arrival October 24th, standard alliance calender. Departure date unknown. Accommodations have not yet been made, however..."

The sound of booted feet entering her shuttle made Inara cover the screen and the person on the other side. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Only one person sounded like Malcolm Reynolds. Only one person carried his scent and only one person had a boot that squeaked like his did.

"Can I come in?"

The fact that he asked was shocking, but this mornings events were sharper than his sudden need to be polite. The idea that she had lost him forever to some blonde, bible thumping, bao-making, bimbo...

"No."

"See?" His tone was light. Enough to make her turn and face him fully. To make her show exactly how worn and tired she was becoming. His face softened, the joking manner put aside, even as he finished speaking. "That's usually why I don't ask."

"What do you want?"

Mal didn't say anything, instead he sat down on one of her couches. He wasn't supposed to come in further. They were supposed to trade barbs and then he'd leave, exasperated with the whole thing and she'd go back to making appointments. Only she didn't have appointments to make anymore. She didn't have anyone to make her feel and she didn't have faces to place his in the stead of. She had a salary now and a mission and he was the single factor that had changed her life.

"I just, I needed a place to hide."

And you chose me? These were the words she'd wanted to say.

"I take it the honeymoon is over?"

"She's a fine girl," Mal admitted. "Hell of a cook."

"I'm sure she has many exciting talents."

"Well I don't' care to learn 'em." Mal leaned back against the couch. "All I wanted was to do somethin' good for those as didn't have anyone to help them. That was the whole plan. Kill bandits, get some groceries, go hunting on Milosz."

"You were going to go hunting?" Inara had assumed he'd wanted to go drink himself stupid again. Maybe make some back door deals.

"Yeah," Mal grinned. "Only place in the verse where wildlife outnumber the population. Heard their actually bumping up their bear limit." Mal leaned forward once more, elbows on his knees as he spoke of his plans. "Few years back they had a boost in subterranean flora, course that means the deer jump, then the bears and tigers jump, so now they've got a surplus of things that like to eat people. Only place a guy like me can go hunting and not get a dirty look from the men in charge."

She didn't want to relax around him. Relaxing meant she was giving in. It meant that she was well and truly retired. It meant she was passing the point of no return and giving in to the captain. Btu hadn't she been ready to tell him yesterday?

"Do...do any of your clients ever ask you to wash their feet?"

"It's my specialty," Inara deadpanned. Forget everything. She had a purpose and a drive. She had Jack and river to focus on, along with their pending nuptiuals. "We're going to be on Milosz at least two weeks, right?"

"Can't exactly be sure," Mal shrugged.

"Well I need you to be _exactly sure,_ Mal. I can't make commitments and not keep them. I can't make plans that never follow through." She turned to look at Jack and River's shared dresser, realizing Richard didn't even have one. "That's your specialty."

"I'm sorry," Mal rose from his seat. "Are you tetchy because I got myself a bride or because I don't plan on keeping her?"

"I find the whole thing degrading," Inara scoffed. The very fact that she'd fallen so far was just annoying, it was the blonde who made the situation embarrassing.

"Funny, she said the same thing about your line of work."

"Maybe you should think twice about letting her go." Inara had taken pride in her past, even if the man in fronf of her didn't. She took pride in what she was doing now, in the fact that she was now a Seeker, finding other girls to send to the Guild, matching them with the appropriate houses. "You two seem like quite a match."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe, Me and Saffron are soulmates."

"Yes. Great." Soul-mates in ignorance. "I wish you hundreds of fat, squalling children."

"Aw, could you imagine that? Me with a whole passel of critters underfoot?" Mal was genuinely imagining it. She could see it in his eyes. "Hell, ten years time-"

"Ten years time, Jack will have the ship and you will be stuck on the same dirtball you got _Saffron_ from. No children Mal, remember. You don't allow them on your ship because you can't stand them." She turned back to her screen. "Could you leave me alone. Please?"

He finally left her, huffing as he went, offended as he slammed her door. Whatever he said was lost in the steel and the sound of her own tears.

Mal backed up when he saw Jayne standing in front of him. He always did seem to find fights. Or fights found him. His hired muscle, the first hired muscle, and the...male person of his daughter, his first one, was standing there with a mighty large rifle in his hands. A very shiney rifle he was polishing oh so slowly. Jayne himself had a very fixed look on his face, focused, calm, dangerous. Even as scruffy as he was, he looked cold and methodical. Mal didn't see this side of Jayne too often; he could count the number on one hand and still enough left to go bowling. Slightly less now.

"Kyra's got herself in a mood Mal."

"Shi ma? Whole damn ship is wu toh wu now." Mal leaned against the railing. He could see as well as anyone that Jayne wasn't planning on moving.

"There's times I think you don't take me seriously Mal." Jayne pushed himself from the rail to face Mal fully. "Don't expect it to change any time soon."

"Really?" Mal was becoming uncomfortable. Not only because of the large rifle, but because of the mass of emotions his entire crew seemed to be swelling with.

"Hell, don't much expect it to ever change." Jayne continued before Mal could speak up again. "Fact is, you got something you don't deserve."

"And it's brought me a whole galaxy of fun, let me tell ya."

"Ain't talkin' bout that bleached prarie harpy," Jayne snorted. That look was back. Jayne's Serious Face. "She ain't got shit to do with what I'm sayin' right now. Fact of things is, you got yourself a damn loyal crew, and more than that you got yourself a family people'd kill for." Jayne set the rifle over his shoulder. "Now see, you, just threw a big ol' rock into our happy little pond. Not that damn harpy!" Jayne cut Mal off. "Only gorram reason Inara's even here anymore is 'cause of Kyra and River."

Mal pushed himself off of the railing and crossed his arms. He knew exactly what was going to happen because it happened every damn time he and Inara got into a fight.

"Jayne, are you going to get to the point?"

"You're going to apologize." The way Jayne said it convinced Mal that he wasn't the one to have come up with this idea. At least, not entirely. "Most the crew agreed that iffin' you can't be man enough to apologize, then, well, we ain't speakin' to ya."

"How many is most?" Mal asked. He could feel a headache coming on, right in the corners of his eyes.

"Zoe and Book are the only one's didn't agree. Simon is going to keep things clinical like. Riddick ain't said nuthin one way or another. Kaylee wasn't there when we took the vote."

"Are they going to keep doing their jobs?"

"Depends. Apologize, and they tell ya why they ain't doin' their jobs."

"And you're elected spokesman for them?" Mal asked. He kept his eyes closed, willing the whole thing to be a very, very bad dream. Honestly the refusal of work wasn't unusual, but this was just going to be frustrating. He knew the vote wasn't exactly a vote either. It was his crew going on strike for better treatment. His own mini-rebellion in a much smaller, cleaner, non-deadly Serenity.

"Until this conversation ends."

Mal nodded, lips pursed as he looked to the door that would lead him back into his ship. Lead him to his bed. Maybe he could go to sleep and this whole thing would fix itself. Except his luck wasn't that good. It never would be.

"Your ma sill lookin' for help?"

"Still on bout that harpy huh?" Jayne snorted. "I suppose I could take her home. Course that means another detour 'fore we hit up Milosz."

"It does, but few days in a place ain't tryin' to kill us might do us all a bit of good." Mal nodded to himself. "Wave yer Ma, tell her you got her some help for the house."

Jayne nodded and turned to head up the walk way. He paused after a few steps however, making Mal wonder just what his gunner was going to do now.

"For what it's worth Mal, I don't blame ya none for what happened with that blonde." He glanced behind him. "Don't tell my girl I said that."

"You can bet I won't."

Mal nodded as the burly man went back into the ship, off to go inform the crew of the next detour and the plan for Saffron. Was he the only one calling her by name? Better still, he had a seedling of respect growing for Jayne. It had been the first part of his speech that made Mal really think about things. His crewman didn't expect anything from him beyond a paycheck and an airlock. Man knew where he stood, didn't expect much else, just happy to be living and in love. He shook his head as he thought of the shift that had happened in Jayne, from the first day they met when nothing but cashy money caught his eye, to now, when nothing and no one but a brassy tech girl held it.

"Gah!" He'd turned to corner to find Saffron lurking just behind the steel. Mal caught his breath. "You do sneak about, don't you?"

~!~

Vaako stared out at the ever growing darkness.

The night is dark and full of terrors. A phrase from a storybook he'd read in his other life. The first time he'd read a book made from real paper. Such things were useless now. Dead vegetation pressed into new form. Giving foolish ideas to the breeding masses. He would find his wife amoungst these masses. Find her, convert her into a new being, a perfected being who believed in fate and destiny. A woman he would cross the threshold with. Hand in hand, side by side.

"It's trying, isn't it?"

The commander turned to face the purifyer. He'd been a member of Zhylaw's clergy long before Vaako had been reborn.

"Being so far from the armada, it tests one's faith."

"If you seek to test my faith, you succeed only in testing my patience." Vaako looked back out into the black. Which sparkling star would he find her on?

"Are you thinking on our prize?" the purifier continued.

"I am thinking on mine." Vaako glanced over at the man, suddenly aware that the room had emptied out. "I wish to find my Bride. The woman I am destined to cross the threshold with."

"Your Bride? I take it things have lost their shine in your household."

"The woman I married, she is not the woman I fell in love with." He'd never met that woman. "She has, changed. Worsened. Ruled by petty thoughts and emotions. She is self destructive unto the point she will drag everyone with her."

The purifier nodded before he too stared out in space.

"The lord Marshall gave you leave to seek out a new one."

"Indeed," Vaako nodded. "I only pray I find her soon."

The purifier laid a hand on Vaako's shoulder, comforting as the will of the Lord Marshal ran into him. The push, the assurance was carried in all purifiers. They were conduits for every lord marshal, a constant supply, and test, of faith.

"You will find her when it is time," he spoke with a smile. "Though, I hope you find someone with the strength to defend herself. You cannot be with your wives at all times."

Vaako only intended on keeping one.

~!~

Jack was sitting outside of the infirmary, tapping away at her cortex as she waited for Simon to finish treating River. No drugs, not since Riddick broke the key in the lock of the drug cabinet; that was going to cause problems one day. Jack just knew it. As much as they got shot at. As much as they argued and fought, someone was going to need something from that cabinet. Probably Mal. Damn that man. Inara had locked the door to the shuttle sometimes between Jayne relaying the message and the captain walking into the room a few minutes ago. No one could get in. Not even Jack!

Hell, not even River could. Part of the reason River was in the med bay right now had to do with the onslaught of emotion flooding the ship. The maegi, woman, trollop, thing, was giving her a headache, confusing her until she couldn't tell what way was up or left of diagonal. There was anger and hurt and sorrow and so many bad emotions that no one knew what to do. The silent game had more to do with giving everyone a chance to think about things than Mal apologizing. He'd say he was sorry, or do something like get stabbed, and then they'd end up laughing together and then fighting again and life would keep going forever.

"This is a Bad Day then?"

Jack turned to Riddick. He'd been leaning against the wall beside the couch for at least as an hour and a half. Eyes always fixed on the medical room. Fixed on River.

"No." Jack shook her head. "Bad Days are...she doesn't come out of the air vents on a bad day. This is more along the lines of having a hundred watt bulb shined into _your_ eyes." Jack looked down at her screen once more. "Whatever they did to her in the academy, she hears things she shouldn't. All the time, without a filter or an ID as to who she's hearing."

Riddick grunted in understanding. Overload. Too much at once.

Mal walked over to them and Jack focused her attention back to the tourest attractions that made Milosz famous. Jayne wanted to go hunting, so did Riddick, but Jack wanted to check out the gadgets, and Kyra...she wanted to lay in a spa for a whole week.

"So, where are you standing on this whole thing Richard?"

"Don't trust her Mal." Riddick's voice was low, growling, and it was making River calm down. "Somethin' about her hit me wrong the second I saw her. River ain't too thrilled with her either."

"Well, that's why I suggested dropping her on a ranch." Mal's voice was relieved and Jack could understand why. Zoe never was one for small talk and Book was pushing Mal to sit and contemplate his life before setting things to rights. "Place like Mercy aught to be decent. Open port, she can grab a ride any place she likes."

"You tell Wash?"

"Told Wash, didn't say much of anything in response, but Zoe says we're on course."

There was a silence between them, broken only by River screaming at her brother in a mix of English, Mandarin, and her and Riddick's special language. Riddick left the wall and walked into the infirmary, closing the door before telling Simon to close the blinds and get out. Jack was rather surprised when the doctor did so. River had calmed when he entered though. Perhaps there was hope for Simon after all.

"Soon as we hit Mercy, i'm going to go begging it from your sister."

Jack wanted to thank him. She wanted to say something. Instead she felt his hand rest on top of her head.

"Picked yourself a good man Jackie. Knows how to make a stand. So do you." She felt him shift, from serious to joking. "Course, this is mutiny. Familial mutiny. Risin' up against dear old dad."

Something thumped in the infirmary, making Simon jump forward before pulling himself back.

"Your sister okay in there?" Mal asked the doctor, hand still resting on Jack's head. "She seemed a bit tetchy."

"River is, reacting to the situation around her." Simon rubbed his face and sighed, a deep and long sigh. "I don't know what's going on. The equipment on the ship is good, but it's not what she needs. For now, all I can do is let my mei xu calm her down."

"Told him he was kin," Mal spoke to no one in particular. He patted Jack on the head before turning away. "One more day after tonight. Get some rest, time will pass quicker."

Jack couldn't help the smile spreading across her lips. The lights in the infirmary dimmed and Simon really did rise.

"Relax Simon. He's just showing her his eyes." Jack turned to face him. "You haven't seen his eyes yet, have you?" She turned her cortex off and shifted to face him fully. "We were on Hades, the first time I saw them. Th first time I met him. I stowed away on a ship, ran away from the home to go find..."

She'd never actually sat down and Talked to Simon. Not really. Not too much beyond a few playful insults, and the not so playful ones, and the ones that came around when she was hiding River from him. He'd heard of bio raptors, thought they were a myth and despite what he'd thought initially, he still wrote a paper on them for his myth and symbol class. He wasn't such a dumb guy. And he wasn't as overly smart as she thought he'd be. They had a bit in common actually. Seen as the weaker sex through their respective childhoods. Consistently brushed off and sent to some place out of the way. Both of them had found a place to hide in school and in friends.

They were comparing terrible History teachers when the alarm resounded through the ship.

"What the hell?"

Simon set his tea cup aside and rose, moving to the infirmary which had just lit up again. He'd changed from laughing man-boy to doctor just as quickly as Kyra had turned back into Jack. Her cortex was on and she was looking through the ship log. At least, she was trying to. All she was getting was the laughing yellow face of her screen saver. Setting the screen aside, she rose from her seat to find out what was going on. She could hear people gathering in the mess above them and she felt the shuttle take off as she walked.

Her steps became hurried, relaxing slightly when she heard Inara's voice echoing thorugh the ship. Her voice was crackling and frantic over the intercomm.

"Simon! Mal's hurt."

Simon was a step behind her, doctor bag in hand; the doctor in him had taken over his whole being, going so far as to slide past her to get to Mal's room quicker. She could hear the tinkling of River's ankle bracelet and Riddicks boots behind her. Jayne was standing by the door of Mal's room, as was Kaylee. Simon slid down the ladder with all the ease of a practiced spacer, face intent and bag slung over his arm.

"What's going on?" Jack asked the former mercenary.

"Damn harpy locked us out of the cockpit, drugged up Mal, hit Wash over the head with something, and your sister slipped."

"She burned out the network too," Jack admitted. "Can't see a thing on my cortex, Simon's was flickering."

"Engine's bout the only thing she didn't screw over," Kaylee nodded. "Course, she did try to lock me in. Only got out thanks to the vents."

"Quietly screaming in the dark." River was peering down into the whole. "Screaming together again."

"Suppose so," Jack nodded. "Better than screaming alone though." She looked over at Jayne. "Go get the cutting torch, get us in so we can ssee what happened. Riv, you wanna go make some tea?" She turned to Kaylee. "You're the only one who knows how to make sure he doesn't burn up all the gas in that thing."

"You're nto so bad at it," Kaylee admitted. "Sorry, about before. I just, kind of like weddings. Sad to know I missed it."

"You can come to mine," Jack laughed. "Seriously though. He's going to grab the wrong tank and you know it."

As Kaylee followed River and Jayne out of the hall, Jack found herself being watched by Riddick. He was smiling at her, grinning almost.

"Got yourself a good crew." He moved to enter Mal's bunk. "Good family. I'm glad."

"Thanks Richard. Now let's go see what kind of trouble Dad got into."

"She's a pro."

"A masterful muck up. Look at how she crossed the drive feeds!"

"We even try to reroute, the whole thing locks down. Fucking brilliant."

"Went straight for the thermal cap too, engine room is about as safe as the Bayou mud flats."

"We are so hung," Wash laughed.

Mal ducked down to look at his flight crew. The three of them were laying on the ground under the primary control panel and having a grand time. As though they weren't all completely hung. Jack slipped back into her old slang too. Cursing...he did not hate kids. He just, had some already.

"I'm glad you three are having such a great time, but I need you to make us not completely screwed over."

"That's not going to happen for a long while Cap'n," Wash pushed himself from under the panel.

"Well we don't have a good long while. We could be headin' straight into a nice big solid moon for all we know."

"Likelihood of the hypothesis unlikely," River hummed from the pilot's seat. Nearest moon of any consequence is the Moon of Mercy. Gravitational pull combined with the ship speed would result in slow orbit. Approximately seven and a half days until the family broke atmo. Enough time to fix the problems."

Jack watched as Mal turned to face the youngest of his crew. He lifted a finger to his lips before shushing her. His whole speech had been deflated and it took genuine effort for Jack and Kaylee to withhold their giggles.

"Why don't my crew just do their jobs, and all of us work?"

"Hey, it was your big make-out session that got us into this mess."

"I was poisoned!" Mal defended.

"You were drugged." Inara was leaning heavily against the pilot's chair. It had taken Riddick and Jayne to pull her out of Mal's bunk.

"'s why I never kiss Jack if she's put on any kind of lip goo."

"Like I don't own half of your things already," Jack snorted under the console. "And it's not lip goo, it's lip balm. And I'd much rather punch you than drug you up." She grunted as she reached for a wire. "You'd feel my wrath."

"Yeah, I felt your wrath."

There was a pause as the crew listened to the kind of normal gossip they were used to. It was wash who brought the conversation back to hand. The entire crew had pushed itself into the small room, watching the only action on the ship and now watching their favorite prime-time comedy.

"Give us some time," Wash moved to inspect the console, turning River's seat so he could better access the buttons. The girl in question tilted while Inara was forced to grab a hold of Riddick's arm. "Sorry Inara. Just, let us get the cortex and nav comm back online. We can at least see where we're heading."

"What about steering?" Mal pressed.

"Or stopping?" Inara asked. She'd sank down to the arm of the pilot's chair.

"She humped us pretty hard," Jack called from the panel.

"We're gonna have to do a lot of..." Wash was cut off by the captain.

"Well do it. Doesn't help me to see where we're going if I can't change course." Mal looked at the three in front of him. "Got three of the best, y'all aught to be able to fix this without much complaint."

Something clanked under the console and a hunk of wire was thrown out from the alcove occupied by Jack and Kaylee. A string of silen cursing came up after something sparked and presumably shocked the two girls.

"Girl knows her ships," Kaylee pushed herself out from beneath. She was nursing an angry looking burn on her hand. Simon was kneeling in front of her before she could speak again, tending the wound in full doctor mode.

"That's not all she knows," Inara spoke up. Her voice was clearer now than it had been down in Mal's room. "She's well schooled."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked. "The sedative? It's just a good night kiss."

"Well, I only hit my head, Mal went through that." Even under the console, Kyra could tell her sister was lying. Hell, anyone that had heard her over the intercom an hour before knew she was lying. "But no. I mean seduction...body language, signals. She's had training." She paused when the crew gave her a look. "As in companion training, as in Court Academy."

"Place they send promising female soldiers," Riddick spoke up. "Right next door to Strikeforce. Train them in espionage, spy-work. Low key assassins."

"Great, so, we could be heading straight for alliance and we could all end up in the slam." Mal slumped into the empty co-pilot's seat. A look passed his face before her turned to Inara. "How did you know? About the training?"

"She tried to seduce me too."

A spark came from beneath Wash's console, echoing through all of them and summoning a string of curses from all three of those working.

"Really?" Mal leaned forward. "Did she...did you?"

Inara snorted. "You don't play a player. It was sloppy of her to try it, but I think she was in a rush." She folded her arms in front of herself, obviously recovered from her bump to the head. It was also a bit odd to hear her speak so candidly about her profession.

"Yeah, btu she had professional-"

"Government," Inara corrected. "They specialize in Meek and ignorant. While effective, it's the lowest form of seduction." She smirked. "Usually used against the foolish."

"So in my case, it was really..." He looked over to Book with a triumphant smile. "You woulda kissed her too."

Zoe popped his bubble by pointing out that Wash hadn't. The discussion progressed further down into the gutter when the comparison of naked women versus sexy talk came up. Down it went, to which was better, articulate or mysterious until finally Wash poked his head from under a console.

"Okay!" he shouted. "Everybody not talking about sex, in here. Everybody else, go elsewhere." He waved his wrench for good measure. "Riv, would you mind coming over and holding something for me?"

All but Mal left the room. He was still sitting in the co-pilot's seat, watching as the four moved around and yanked wires and replaced others. He listened as River was sent to get the A3 wires and Jack's tool belt. He watched as they continued to shock themselves, making all of the lights flicker; Simon rejoined them in moments, watching and bending down whenever another person cursed and whacked things. Mal didn't know too much abou the techy part of his ship. Something that might have paid off in this moment.

The light flickered once more before glowing merrily above them. The primary control panel lit up, dimly, and a crow of joy came from Wash's lips.

"You got it?" Mal asked as the man came around to reclaim his seat.

"Uhm we got light. We got screens. It's a qualified yes." He paused as the girls smacked something. "A partial."

"What about nav control?" Mal asked.

Kaylee's muffled voice came out with a resounding No.

"Where we headed? Can ou tell me that?"

Another spark came from beneath the girls' panel, along with Jack calling out a frustrated Yes.

"Let me...the coordinates she entered...well, on the upside it's not too far." Wash scrolled through the data. Waved someone too. No ID, same location."

"Who is it?" Jayne's voice came from behind them, startling everyone. A loud thunk came from the girls again. "You okay?"

"Five by five," Jack called. She extended her hand for the set of wires Jayne had come up with. River had gotten distracted it seemed.

"Uhm hold on a bit," Wash played around some more. "Jack, I need you to get the signal converter up."

"Hold on." there were no sparks this time. Only a happy chirp as the requested equipment came to life. "Okay, so...elector magnetic interferance is...everywhere. And...we're heading for a circle."

"It's a net."

~!~

"Needn't worry."

Riddick turned to face the girl on the catwalk above him. His starlight was hidden away again. Kept behind thick glass as the spirits were kept behind thick walls. She would release him. Soon. They would free each other, bonds cut as they hunted together. Sang together.

"A government trained trollop sabotages the ship, and you tell me not to worry?"

"The only blue is her eyes." River leaned forward, holding to the rail as she came face to face with Riddick. "Blue eyed succubus. Flaunts the power behind the badge and the training. Left it behind for cashy money. Doesn't realize her brother's bounty sat across from her." River released the bar, knowing Riddick was going to catch her. Her arms rest over his shoulders, keeping her form balanced as he held her. "Willful ignorance. To admit means to surrender her brother's bounty. To return the glitter she gave to the ponies."

"Got some faith in me."

His arms were warm around her legs and lower back. She could feel the heat of his form and the rising red in his mind. The red and the blue of their people. He breathed it out, the warm air spreading across her abdomen. She breathed it in, and allowed herself to slide down to the cold steel.

"The beast is her Beast, not for sale or barter. Has known since she was young." Her hands came to rest upon his chest, one directly over his heart. "Believed when she saw him counting bullets. Believed when she heard him making escape plans for two instead of one." She lifted his goggles from his face. "She is his Beautiful. Not for sale or barter."

"Allah hu hassen," Riddick laughed. Still smiling, his lips found River's.

The scent of her, the taste of her. The scent of him, the taste of him.

The sound of the bay door opening and half of the crew cursing while Captain Daddy and Elder Sister's Man started talking about the gun with a name and cutting the net apart. Her beast released her, mind filled with annoyance and frustration. He echoed her own, louder and more organized, scattered though it was. She would give his spirits freedom, release, and they would sing together.

"Now what I got planned..." Mal came to a stop in front of them. "...I don't wanna know. Also, you have very pretty eyes Ricky." The captains grin made all three of them men light up with the bright yellow of amusement. Mind filled with giggles as their mouths released only snorts.

"Fuck you Dad." Riddick pulled his goggles back over his eyes. "What's your plan?"

"Headin' towards a carrion net, gonna put Jayne and Vera" Mal nodded towards the large gun in Jayne's hand "In suits, he's gonna shoot it."

The simple logic of the plan made River's mind stutter. It made Riddick raise his brows and River let her giggle loose.

"It is a very sound plan. Seein' as we don't have any ship board weapons, we gotta make due."

"And that means Mal and I standing in the airlock shooting at things in space."

Riddick only shook his head, stepping aside so the captain and the bear could get the suits needed to cut the net apart. River went with him, still giggling. The giggles held back were erupting through her. She would giggle for her khal when he would not. When he could not. His tears would become her own. Because he could not.

"Is there any merit to their plan?" Riddick asked. His laughter was subsiding, replacing by the feeling of wonder that he was so trusted. By the wonder that she could look so beautifully happy.

"Best tracker this side of the verse," River spoke softly. "Bang, squish, bullet in the brain pan. Second only to Inavva." She tilted her head, mind turning on as she ran the numbers through hr head. "A single shot to a single receptor, short circuit. Home free. Pitstop on the way to Milosz."

~!~

"This is your captain speaking. I'd like to let you all know that Milosz is now locked in to our nav system." Mal's voice rang out over the comm system of the ship. "There will be no more pitstops. Promise."

The captain released the button on the microphone. His hand hurt, his bones hurt, and now, seeing as they weren't stopping at Mercy after all -Jayne's message hadn't even run through- he had to get up and go apologize to the companion sitting in his shuttle. Soon as the danger of dying had passed, the whole crew had gone back to silence, save Riddick, Book, and Zoe. Not the Richard was much of a talker. And Book only gave him stern looks. Zoe didn't say much either.

Mal found himself knocking on the door tot eh Serra shuttle for the second time in as many days. This time he waited for her invitation to enter.

She was a lonesome queen. Garbed in fine silks and linens, delicate chains of gold hanging from around her neck and wrists and ears. She was lounging upon a divan, open book on her lap and a pot of tea on the table beside her.

"Back on course now. Should only be a day or two late." Mal shifted his stance, unsure of how one went about apologizing for what had happened between them. "Hope that's all right."

"It should be fine. Thank you." She closed her book and turned to face him fully. "Does the vixen live?"

"Yeah, I suppose you could call it that." She wasn't making this easy. "Alls well I suppose."

She hummed at him, returning to her book. How in the hell did such a gracefull woman end up on his boat? He couldn't help the thought that sparked up. They always teased each other to apologize, and now, something amazing had popped into his mind.

"You're a very graceful woman Inara."

His words gave her a start. He'd never seen her unable to respond to a compliment before.

"I...thank you."

"That's where I start to get fuzzy though." Mal folded his arms, confident that he'd caught her. "You got by that girl, came and found me, and somehow you happened to just trip and fall."

"I kissed you Mal."

Mal hadn't caught her at all. In fact, he was now doing his very best to imitate a fish. His arms unfolded themselves and moved about and rfolded themselves and eventually entered his pockets.

"You...kissed me?"

"I did." Inara shut her book once more and turned to face him fully. "I retired from Companion status right before we stopped on Whitefall. I'm officially a Madrasa Seeker." She leaned forward and flipped the other cup over, filling it with tea before setting it before Mal. "Part time Sniper if you'd have me."

Mal needed to sit.

~!~!~!~

~!~!~

~!~

Holy Maters of Gawd. This, was a long one. I knew it was going to be long when the 18 page mark was met at Dinner Time. Jeebus. 32 pages of story alone you guys. 32. And! Aren't you all just wondering who Vaako is planing to take as his bride? LOL Please, review, give me all of your thoughts or rants or whatever.

Mercy – reference to a Doctor Who episode, a place for second chances. Where people don't look too closely at a man or woman or cyborg's past. Great Episode btw. It could actually fit into Firefly very well.

**Mandarin**

Mie Xu – I actually had to look this one up. Mie Xu is 'brother in law', but more specifically, it's the husband of the younger sister.

Jie Fu – Brother in Law, husband of the elder sister.

**High Furyan/Dothraki words**

Qemmolat hatif? - Cover face? Interestingly enough, Hatif means In Front Of and Face. I suppose it should technically be Qemmolat hatif hatif? It seemed too redundant for me.

Dik ezok. Maegi... - Quick learner, the witch...

Inavva – esister

**Arabic **

Allah hu hassen – god is great.


	14. Milosz

Inara didn't jump when Richard's frame took up her doorway. He'd come not moments after Mal had left, mouth like a fish as the captain's brain struggled to understand what Inara had told him. No, Inara didn't jump or even flinch, she was rather glad someone had come along. Someone she could ask about the idiocy every man seemed to carry within him. She didn't look when Richard entered the room either. The man needed to understand that he was welcome to her domicile as much as Kyra and River were. It took him a moment to fully relax, it always did, but the large man settled in the chair he'd taken to sitting in since his arrival. Inara and Jack both had started calling it his chair, a chair neither of them had ever sought out, a chair Inara had bought years ago for a reason unknown.

"Not sure which is worse, Slam City waffles, or the love game on this ship."

"I'm sure the waffles pass eventually," Inara laughed lightly.

The convict laughed, a deep sound that rumbled through the shuttle; Doo came to investigate a few seconds later. Richard's hand rest on the dog's head, playing with it as Inara thought on what to say. How to ask it just right so she could communicate her thoughts in an intelligent way.

"Mal is trying to think." She smiled up at Richard; she refused to call him anything but his name. "He's not very good at it."

"Noticed that while we were planning our last job."

He accepted the tea she offered him and not for the first time, Inara was glad the media was wrong about the man. An animal? Maybe, but most of the people she sailed with were hardly better. Richard at least said 'thank you'. She'd yet to get a 'please' from him, but maybe one day. Maybe when they had to go hunt Jayne down in the event he ever hurt Kyra.

"Overheard a fair bit of things." He was looking into the cup, goggles pulled up in the dim light of her shuttle. "You really think you can take it on?"

"This is my home. This is my family. I'm going to do what it takes to stay here and make sure they're safe." She refilled his cup. "You included Richard."

"Really now?"

"Contrary to what most think, I do remember my time in the orphanage."

The two of them sat in a comfortable silence. Inara's time at the orphanage had been shorter than her sister's, but some memories never went away. Inara could still remember what their parents were like. She could remember the bone chilling fear that she would wake up with her father standing over her bed and her mother screaming in the corner. That the stone walls of the state home wouldn't be enough to keep him out, she was almost convinced of it back then. There were still times when she would wake up terrified that this had all been some glamorous dream. Not often, but sometimes, when she'd gone to bed fearful or tense. Richard joining them on Serenity made things alright, because Inara could remember the boy who always stood up for the girls, even if it meant getting the brunt of things.

"Gotta say, three of us turned out pretty well." His silver eyes were focused on the wall. Flickering across the stock of Death Sentence.

"For a certainty."

~!~

The touchdown onto Milosz was full of energy. Excited and nervous, the whole crew was ready to be someplace Serenity wasn't, if only for a little bit. They were ready to shop, men and women both; creatures comforts were running awful low and the mule's engine was making a very sad poppity-click sound.

"Now, I reckon ya'll got things of your own to do," Mal stood in front of the bay doors. "I don't know how many times I've walked in to hear half of you talking about new clothes, but, I got a list for each of ya. Things as need replacing or fixing."

"Because a week on Origin wasn't enough?" Kaylee asked.

She'd been right down in things when Mr. U paid for an Origin trip, watching with hawk eyes as mechanics touched her girl and fiddled around with bits. Serenity's insides were shinier than her outsides right now, and most of that gunk was from entering atmo. An entire overhaul all in exchange for one tiny package. No cashey money had come from the job, but considering the bill they'd run up at the shipyard, no one was complaining.

"Nope." Mal lifted his stack of lists. "Gone over things a bit. Wash, Kaylee, Book, you guys are in charge of pickin' out the new mule." He barely held back his grin as the two redheads squealed like children. "Our lovely ladies in blue," he looked over at Inara, Kyra, and River. "Need you to pick out some new dishware. We're running a tiny bit low on plates."

"She is very sorry," River spoke softly.

"Not an issue Lil' Bit," Mal waved it off. "Just make sure you throw the old ones from now on, dong ma?" He continued once River nodded. "Now, you two..." Mal let out a sigh as he looked at his two gunmen. "Gonna regret this...You two, go on and restock our ammo. Runnin' a bit low on our lead collection."

Mal looked over and Zoe and Simon. "You two, are comin' with me to the gun range. You might be a surgeon Doc, but your aim is yi da tuo da bian." He handed out his lists and gave them all a look. "Well? Go on!"

~!~

"Jah Yoh!" Mal crowed as he watched the can fall. "Go figure Zoe, he's a surgeon again!"

Zoe smiled along with the boys. Shotguns weren't known for accuracy, but Simon seemed to have talent.

"Gohn shi," Zoe handed Simon a few more shells. "We can count on you to hold ship now."

The doctor was blushing bright red at the praise he was receiving. All it had taken was a few mentions of The Zone. Zoe had known it would work, it had worked with Carlton back during the war. Just fall into the mindset one used during surgery. Calm, collected, cool. Just like hitting a dot, using a laser to take out a tumor. When Simon mentioned they used a chemical agent, she asked if you still needed to be exact. You did.

"Like removing a tumor," Simon laughed out. Shaking and a bit nervous. "It's fun. Not removing tumors, shooting."

"Feel a mite different about it when there's a person on the other end," Mal pointed out. "But, keep seein' tumors, won't have no issue."

~!~

"So...do we want Sunshine Red? Or Ultra Lavender?" Book asked the two behind him.

Kaylee looked at the two paint options before them. They'd found the mule they wanted. Not too many frills, but finally enough room for all of them to have at least a handle to hold onto. They wouldn't have to deal with a steering column sticking whenever you tried to turn right, and the axle wasn't broken. They did spring for a stereo. And a cloth top. Arching over the vehicle, the flexi-steel would keep most attacks from connecting. It was a very slick looking buggy. Streamlined and painted all matte, it had been surprisingly cheap; apparently someone had died in it and now no one wanted the darn thing. All because of a silly heart attack.

"I reckon we should go with Sunshine Red," Kaylee nodded. "It's more us. All action and passion and whatnot."

"And blood," Wash nodded in agreement. "But this is more active blood."

Book had to smile as he informed the salesman of their choice. It was like taking grandchildren into a candyshop with these two.

~!~

The ladies in blue drifted through the shop. One was very graceful. One was very casual. One was sullen.

"River, I know it's bothersome, but you need to walk like an apprentice, or someone might suspect something."

"She despises this." River was holding her veil up between two fingers. "Understands practicality, hiding so much away." She let it fall. "Too hot. Sticks to her skin when she moves, filmy silk, filmy skin."

Inavva understood. She'd gone through the same trial in her own time as an apprentice. Test endurance, test will, test grace. Give a man a glimpse of the prize not yet won. Blue. Not for sale. Blue. Fooled the facial scanners. One in Three, Can't Catch Me. Inavva's blue was thrown back over her hair, face shown to the world without care. Agent of the Guild, seeking new souls. Fresh meat to serve and save. Big Sister's attached to a hat. Not for Sale. Not an Agent, agent of the Agent. Covered only her eyes, hair exposed, neck open to the axe swing of yester-century. No Axe swing for her, no betrayal, never.

The girl was enshrouded. Fell like water from the crown of flowers upon her head. Stone flowers crying woven smoke. Impossibility. Proof rest in a halo of divine sin. Fell to her knees and wrapped about her form. Layers of smoke clung to skin, moved with each step, left everything and nothing for view. Was their purpose in hiding the form when the shape and contours were in plain sight? Men around her thought so. Wanted to see the skin, open the present. It was not their Christmas. They were not the little boy she was meant for. Not the one she chose.

Hers would taste of peppermint. With Big Sister's man, seeds in bags that would bloom bright orange and red and yellow as they sat enjoying winter.

"How about this one?" Kyra held up a plate for their view. "Nice and uncivilized."

Primitive design of the native North Americans of Earth That Was. Filled with sunshine and rivers. Filled with lightening and the hunt.

"Had a code their own," River titled her head. "Walked through the skies in search of game."

"Good, because I'm tired of looking at this stuff."

Big Sister was Big Sister no matter which name she took on.

~!~

"No peppermint?" Jayne asked as he sat at the bar with his crewmate. He wouldn't go so far as to call him brother-in-law Just yet. Not until Kyra had been to see his Ma and there was a missus in front of her name and Jayne Cobb was her mister.

"Nope." Riddick was looking at his glass through dark goggles. Whiskey courtesy of Jayne.

"Have you tried cinnamon?"

Riddick turned to look at the merc he was sitting beside. A merc. He was drinking with a god damn mercenary. Discussing issues with his old lady just like half the men around them. Except she wasn't his old lady yet. Just his Beautiful. Damn if that wasn't enough for him. Wasn't a man alive or dead who'd believe that. None would even consider the idea that he'd been engaged since he was ten, much less that she had him so thoroughly whipped he was going to change his drinking habits. Made him feel like less than he'd been before. Weak, dependent.

"Hard to get cinnamon schnapps in most places."

Jayne shrugged and topped the man's glass off. "Well, sailin' 'long with us, might end up finding somethin' better than this candy cane flavored _go shi_. 'Spect Riv to drink somethin' like this, supposin of course she liked it."

From the sound of Kyra's story a few nights ago, Riv had a thing for dark red wine that tasted like fruit. Core bred's certainly had a funny way about them. It made Jayne think. Out of the core bred folk he'd met, and he'd met his fair share, about 2 in 7 seemed to be fairly alright folk. He'd only trust 1 in 500 to stand behind him with a gun though. Possibly less, depending on the number of people he continued to meet from the core. Statistics might go up or down. Jayne was getting to be an alright hand at numbers so long as he wasn't bein' pushed or shouted at. Kyra was mighty helpful with the numbers game.

"Supposin'," Riddick agreed with a grin. Cinnamon really wasn't so bad a flavor. Had it's bite, but it made his blood burn. Cinnamon that is. Not the alcohol, that tended to cool him down, slow his world a bit, dull the extra senses he had. Cinnamon made him hunt. Made him seek a willing woman. He wasn't going near cinnamon until...

"I'm fucking whipped." What a bizarre realization. "_Wo cao_."

Jayne turned to look at Riddick once more. "Happens to the best of us." He lifted his glass. "To the fine young ladies who decided to turn us from _yu bun duh go neong yung duh_, into lucky _wong ba duhn!"_

Riddick clinked his glass against Jayne's, grinning the long while.

~!~!~

Mal watched as his crew stumbled back into the cargo hold, excluding of course those who'd rode in on the new mule. Made him remember Sunday mornings on Shadow, when the whole family would pile into the buggy and head to church. He didn't even throw a fit when his ladies and boys ignored him in favor of admiring the new contraption. Hell, Mal was sitting in the passenger seat, right up front with a boot on the dash. A mighty fine choice they'd made, in color and model, and in finding the cheap one. That was something Mal was very keen about.

About as keen as the way Inara was dressed.

"So, we finally have something presentable to go out in." Inara smiled up at him. "And here we picked out the uncivilized plates."

"Fact it's a plate makes it civilized enough," Mal snorted. He watched the two hulking forms of Jayne and Riddick enter. "You boys get everything?"

"And then some," Jayne answered as his eyes fixed themselves upon the new vehicle. "Shiny."

"You were running low on stingers," Riddick clarified.

He didn't walk towards them mule, instead he went straight back to the weapons locker. Mal watched as he put everything away with military precision; he'd been wondering who'd gone in and organized it. He shouldn't have. Riddick was a man trained by those who'd taken River from the sounds of things. Trained and escaped years before they started cutting into folks. Mal only knew that from Jack and Inara, they only knew that from River and she knew because of things her gran and fiance had admitted to her. Knew things some other way too, a way Mal wasn't quite ready to admit to himself as truth.

"Right, now, since we got what we need, I just want to reaffirm a few rules." Mal sat up straight in the mule and looked over across his crew. "Locking the ship up at 3am planet-wise. Time enough to get yourselves in after last call. Ain't no one got kitchen duty, but you use somethin', you clean it. Same goes for the rest of the chores." He stepped down from their new transport. "Now, I am going to go and sign up for a hunting trip this weekend if any of you might like to join me."

~!~

"Surprised you came with doc," Jayne was chewing on a cigar as they waited for Mal to finish filling out paperwork. Release waivers and whatnot. "Figured you'd be off pickin' out blankets with the girls."

"Or seeing a movie with Wash." Riddick was admiring a knife collection on the wall.

"Well, in light of recent developments between yourself and my sister," Simon sat up straight as he spoke. "Certain requirements must be met."

Jayne leaned back and watched what was about to play out. Kyra explained what she knew to him, and Riddick connected a few dots earlier that day, but this was giving him a whole other part of the painting.

"Already did that," Riddick was staring at Simon with what could only be called annoyance.

"And the witness who could verify your actions is missing."

Jayne was rather enjoying this and when Mal came over with a cup of coffee, he could tell the captain was too.

"As River's last of kin I'm calling Ittelat."

Jayne and Mal both were fair to certain Riddick was going to punch someone. The doctor pressed on.

"The actions of a boy often quarrel with the mind of an adult." Simon hadn't flinched when Riddick punched the wall. "I have no doubt of your intentions, nor your ability to protect her. I don't question your morals either, not as often as I could at least." Jayne and Mal both snorted at that one. "So I want this to go Kim Akkate."

Riddick gave Simon a look. His brows had raised and while he didn't have a hairline to speak of, Jayne was pretty sure they might have disappeared into it.

"What the hell is that?" Mal asked.

"The way of the ancestors," Riddick rumbled out. He was starting to smile, just a little bit. "You know what that entails Doc."

Simon stiffened in his seat before nodding tightly.

"Mind explaining it for the rest of us?" Jayne asked.

"It's an old courting ritual," Riddick was grinning fully now. "If a man wanted to marry an orphan woman, or a woman who wasn't all there, he had to carry out Kim Akkate. Proved he could make her happy. Food, shelter, warmth, and pleasure."

"_Wuh de ma_!" Mal threw his hands up. "Man don't need to hear about his girls being..." he waved his hands as though he were waving away the thoughts Riddick's words had brought up. He turned to face Simon. "Why you bringing this up now?"

"Because our situations have changed. River isn't heading to the ballet and Riddick isn't slated to become a general anymore." Simon let out a sigh. "We're not who we started as, so we need to asses who we are."

"Makes sense to me," Jayne shrugged. One of the workers was approaching them. "If ya think on it, it's actually a bit easier than whatever yer gran momma put him through."

"Husband?"

"Yes my star?" Wash asked.

"Don't you think it's a bit soon to judge pink or blue?"

Wash looked at his wife in pure astonishment. During the Saffron fiasco, Simon had called Zoe in to double check the possibility of a third and forth Washbourne. Wash himself didn't know if he could have taken another false positive. He didn't know if they could take another loss either. When Simon smiled and told them everything was progressing normally, and his beloved wife was going to bring Two little Wash children into the world...

"It is never too soon to think about pink and blue," Wash put his hands on his hips. "If we get pink and end up with two boys, then we're showing how accepting we are. If we get blue and it's a set of girls, we're showing thm that it's okay to be tough and strong like her mother."

"Have you considered tan?" An older woman was standing near them, watching as two younger ones to her right fussed over a crib. She was a lovely woman, blonde and feminine with an underlying strength. Her accent was thick, a native of Milosz.

"Tan?" Zoe asked.

"Yes, tan." She smiled. "When I was preparing for my first child, I didn't know. I didn't want yellow or white, so I thought to myself, what color goes with blue and pink?" The woman turned to face them fully. "I look at all the colors, all of them, and I put pink and blue on each side and I saw that only two colors worked very well."

"White and tan?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," the woman nodded. "But I, I do not like white. It is too easy to stain, too bright." She leaned closer. "It hurts my eyes."

"Tan could work," Wash nodded as he looked around at the various objects in the shop. "Tan would work very well in our happy family." The pilot drew himself up and began to search the shop for tan and brown cribs, safety seats, and playpens.

"Thank you," Zoe nodded to the woman. "My mister would have been in here all day if you hadn't helped us." He'd already spent four days looking through every baby shop in the city.

"Is nothing darling," the blonde waved. The young women from earlier were calling her over. "Ah, now I must go and play grandmother. Good luck to you."

The blonde walked over to the two younger women and the three of them began to speak in rapid Milo-Russian. Waving and scoffing and laughing as they talked. Her daughter had picked something just bordering on gray. It made Zoe smile. She turned away to go find her mister and reel him in.

Kyra nearly dropped the pants she was holding when River let out a string of cruses. Loud and angered, even Inara had looked over at her in surprise. Kaylee looked close to proud at the words that had erupted from River's mouth, and the rest of the shop, well, they could go fuck themselves for all Jack cared.

"Is something wrong?" Kyra asked, moving over to the reader.

"Meddlesome Simon has altered her plans," River scowled at the selection of tops in front of her. "The beast will avoid her until his den is prepared." River let out a tiny growl. "Will take months rather than weeks."

"What's going on?" Kaylee asked.

"Simon...did something, and now Richard isn't going to be sneaking into her bunk, I think?" Jack shrugged slightly at the mechanic. She turned back to River. "Right?" River gave a curt nod. "Okay, so...we work around it."

River looked over at the two of them as Inara finally joined them. She'd been apologizing for the rash behavior of her new apprentice. All floating grace and elegance, there was a sparkle in her eyes that showed she wasn't altogether upset by River's words.

"Ooh," Kaylee's eyes lit up. "He can't sneak into your bunk, but nuthin's stopping you from goin' into his, right?"

"A Furyan woman does not sneak," River scoffed. "Entering before the den is prepared is Ojil Kim, she has been banned." The teen was getting increasingly frustrated. "Not an issue before Simon opened his mouth."

"Then don't chase him." Inara picked up the garment that had fallen from River's hands. "You might not be heading for the guild, but I'm sure I could teach you a few things."

~!~

"Ricky, I ain't rightly sure that what you did was the smartest thing, but I have to say, it was pretty damn fearless." Mal was standing next to his gun hand as they watched the lodge staff clean and cure their trophies. Three days spent hunting in the tunnels beneath the surface, just Mal and his boys and a few bottles of nice, cold, vodka.

Mal himself planned on mounting his trophy someplace in the common room, maybe in the mess, possibly in the cargo bay. But Riddick, well, weren't much of a question what he was planning to do with the massive bearskin he'd claimed, and Mal did mean massive. Big enough to cover the floor of the bunk and still have a bit left over. Their guide had tried to pull them away from the monster, a mutated creature that had run into some such chemical or other. Twice as aggressive as what they normally hunted with a whole mess of teeth and claws. Hardly looked like a bear but Riddick had gone in with his knife and a single gun.

"Liked the shade," Riddick shrugged as he watched. There were three people working on his pelt alone. "Nice and bright."

"Well, the more they keep washing it, the more it gets a bit of a blue tint."

"Everything's a shade of gray," Riddick shrugged. "Has been since I got sent to the slam that first time."

Mal looked over at the color blind man, wondering what had happened to take the rainbow away from him.

"Ever seen snow at dusk? Before?" Mal asked. Riddick nodded. "Looks a bit like that. Kinda blue."

Simon came over to them next, wiping his hands on a cloth. Their guide had tripped and broken himself and the good doctor had taken over. Set the bone, sewed the man shut, and of course brought out the shotgun when the scent of blood drew in the predators. Doc had managed to hit a fairly nice sized Tunnel-cat, pretty tawny gold thing. Simon had almost refused it until Mal pointed out that Milosz had an overabundance of predators.

"All taken care of?" Mal asked.

"And a fee collected," Simon nodded. He was smiling ever so slightly. "Where's Jayne?"

Riddick pointed at the window they were watching. Their merc was inside, helping to clean his own haul. Man certainly liked to get his hands dirty. Wasn't afraid of doing what needed to be done. Ricky wasn't either, though he was more the kind to go in and take a body out. Right up close and dirty, Mal could still see blood under the man's fingernails.

"Aught to go get yourself some new shirts Ricky," Mal finally nodded. "Can't have my crew running around half naked or otherwise."

"Didn't know I had that affect on you Dad."

Mal scowled as the two boys began to snicker and laugh. Right disrespectful they were. He should have brought Doo hunting...except the dog was shivering his hide off whenever the bay door was opened.

"What the hell is that?"

Mal looked up from Doo to stare at Jack. Doo was a ridiculously happy boy, rolling on his back as his tail became a weapon of mass destruction. Jack had never seen the animal so happy.

"It's a sweater." Mal reached over and pretended to grab for Doo's nose. "Keeps shiverin' every time a draft picks up, so I got him a sweater."

"It's a very cute one," She grinned. She took a seat at the console, turning the chair so she could watch her dad play with the dog. It wasn't anything fancy, just a black sweater with red cuffs. It matched his collar well enough and considering how often Doo would cuddle up with someone during night cycle, Jack wondered why she didn't see it sooner.

"A real boy," River hummed as she perched beside Jack.

Jack nodded in agreement as she watched them play together.

"Do you know where Riddick and Jayne are?" she finally asked the man-boy.

"Went off someplace," Mal answered as the dog tackled him. "They'll be back soon enough."

Jack turned to look at River for any possible clarification, but the girl was still upset over whatever it was Simon had done. Not to mention Riddick had actually locked the door to his bunk. Jack shrugged it off, watching as Doo bounded away before coming back to Mal. He wanted to play the chase game and Mal was in just the right mood to play with him. As the two of them went away, River flopped into the pilots seat, staring petulantly out the window with arms crossed.

Jack turned to look at her mei-mei. Their shopping trip had proven to be very helpful for River's sanity. It had given her a chance to solidify who she was without the memories of others clinging to her clothes. River had come away with several pairs of shorts and Capri pants. Night clothes all her own and shirts she'd wanted as opposed to what she was given. Choice played an awful big part in how a person turned out. She was wearing a pair of dark indigo capris now, along with a t-shirt bearing a stick figure fox. But even with all the joy River had gained over creating her identity, she was unhappy on ship.

"So, what did Simon do?" Jack raised a hand. "Besides, make things more difficult."

"Only difficult for the girl." River slouched lower into the chair. "The way of ancestors, archaic even in the past. The way of tribal peoples of Earth-that-was."

"And this is bad," Jack nodded. River shook her head. "Well it's not good, otherwise you'd be happy."

"It is..." River titled her head and began to think. "It is pushing the Beast to remedy failings. In doing such, she is restricted from making her own choice."

Jack understood then. This wasn't about the ritual itself, or Riddick going off and doing Allah knows what, it was about River losing her freedom again. Having her choice taken away in a situation where she hadn't had much choice to begin with. Her gran's plan had worked out alright, but Riv had still retained the ability to refuse Riddick at any time. Simon had taken that away. Jack leaned back in her seat. She was back to disliking Simon again. Just when he was getting to be alright.

"They are back."

River's voice broke into Jack's thoughts. When she looked at the clock, she realized she'd been sitting there thinking for almost an hour and a half.

"Let them come to us," Jack adjusted her position. She pulled the cortex down in front of her. "You always have a choice River. Even if it's between going along with it, kicking and screaming as they drag you, or sitting and doing nothing."

River pulled her legs up under her, leaning on the arm of Wash's chair. She'd kicked her shoes off at some point. Jack could understand why, there wasn't much point in walking on your toes if you were sitting. She could also hear Jayne's voice echoing up from the hold, and then the kitchen, until finally he was standing behind her, asking what she'd done with her day. You always had a choice. Jack was choosing to lead her man back to their bunk so she could look through the bag he had in his hands. It was from a clothing store and he had terrible choice in clothing.

River watched as Sister and her man left the bridge. Ignoring the man had summoned his attentions, while chasing the man made him run and dodge. Sister had made her man curious by refusing him. The Beast was curious as well. He took Sister's seat, watching River through his goggles until the girl dimmed the bridge lights. She chose to lower the lights; she wanted to see the stars under the ice and stone. He didn't disappoint. The goggles came off and his eyes focused only on her, shades of gray made the world, it was known.

"Got you something." River tilted her head as he reached into the bag he'd brought in with him. "Malus Domestica."

He'd brought her an apple. Bright and shining red and green, the smell of it was perfect and River was beyond pleased that he'd found it for her. Plucked from the tree directly, the Beast was tempting Eve. She watched as he pulled his knife from it's home and began to slice it for her.

"She is very pleased." River accepted the first slice. The feel of the fruit and the sound of the crunch in her mouth was beautiful. "Share with her?"

Her beast grinned and sliced a piece off for himself. A beauty and a beast sharing the gift of God in the shadows. It would always be her choice. The Beast would make sure of it.

Mal was escorting Inara through the streets of Milosz, not altogether pleased that he was dressed in part of his monkey suit again, but rather thankful he could finally answer Inara. Retired. She wasn't a Companion anymore, just a graceful lady with a mysterious past that involved high powered rifles and some questionable men. Just like every other woman in the verse. Just like every other woman, she'd come from poor beginnings and made herself stronger, found herself a crew and a ship. Only thing was, she was just now asking to be a part of the crew.

"You sure about this?" Mal asked as she led him through the market. Crystals hung from the cavern ceilings, rainbow light glittering all around them and illuminating the world. Made a body forget they were deep underground.

"I am quite sure Mal." Inara set a brightly colored scarf to the side. "Being a companion is lovely, glamorous, but there's no real family. I want a family Mal. I want to keep them safe, and if it means taking up arms, I'll do it."

Mal reminded himself that she wasn't asking him for a tiny family of their own. Even if she had, he didn't doubt she'd be as fierce as any tiger when it came to keeping them safe as well. Hadn't a single doubt in the verse that she'd make a downright wonderful mother. Teach them kids manners and a straight aim, teach his boys how to treat a lady and ensure their girls knew to defend themsleves. Not that daddy's pistol wouldn't come out whenever a boy so much as breathed to close to em. A whole family, sailing in the black...

"You do realize that you're likely to become an outlaw." Mal leaned over to inspect some kind of neck-tie, looked like a pair of shoelaces running through a button. "What we do, doubt your guild is likely to stand behind you, what with you only being a scout now."

"You'd be surprised," Inara laughed.

"Well, I suppose I should welcome you on board then Miss Serra."

~!~

"Jack!"

Kaylee burst into the Serra shuttle, grinning wide as she stuttered to a halt. Kyra hadn't dropped her tea, but she'd come very close to it. The bubbly mechanic was dressed in her most floral dress, a pair of baby pink leggings poking out beneath, and the grin on her face was bright enough to light up the entire shuttle.

"Oh! And Riv and 'Nara and Rick too!" Kaylee let out a breath of relief. "Now I ain't gotta run round the ship to find ya'll." Kaylee came further into the shuttle, stopping in front of Jack. "Cap'n's takin' us all out to dinner. A Real proper restaurant too instead of a bar!"

"Mal is willing to part with money at a real business?" Inara asked. Her brows had risen ever so slightly.

"That's what he said. Says we're goin' out tonight."

Sometimes Jack wondered if Kaylee had a crush on Mal. The way she jumped to defend him and his plans at nearly every turn. The way she'd defended his 'choice' in a wife. Every time Jack stopped to seriously consider it though, Simon would come up or walk into the room or his voice would echo through the ship, turning Kaylee into a pile of floral, sunshine covered, mush.

"How fancy is this place we're going?" Jack asked. "I mean, what's he saying we should wear?"

"He didn't say anything about dressing fancy, just said wear somethin' clean."

~!~

The restaurant was exactly that. Not a pub or a tavern or a bar, not a food stand or some noodle cart, but a genuine sit down and eat with your family at a table restaurant. It must have been a refurbished theatre, because there was a stage and Mal had managed to get his crew a private box overlooking everything. A small band was playing, combining with the sound of other diners and Serenity's own crew. It was nice, just sitting around without the upcoming duty of dishes or cooking or prep work. No worry about burning the protein or sudden hails from incoming ships.

"Alright then, this here's our last night on Milosz," Mal began to speak from the head of the table. He could see each and every member of his crew from where he sat, including the one hiding away in his first mate. "Now, just so happens I managed to find us two jobs."

He pretended not to hear the grumbles coming from his crew. They couldn't depend on Mr. Universe for every job they took, turned them into Mr. U's men instead of being free folk.

"First fellow wants us to head on over to Zapotec, deliver some beets. Second man wants us to move something from Zapotec over to his brother's. Says he has another job lined up after if we're up for it."

Mal looked over his crew, rather pleased by what he saw. Damn pretty bunch of people, newly outfitted and unstressed. New pants for some, decent shirts for others. Future crew had their bassinet waiting in a box and current crew was finally getting their bunks personalized. His ship had finally turned into a real homey type of place and they had to be the prettiest family he ever did see.

"Good," Mal nodded when everyone agreed that they were set to go. "Want us all on board until takeoff tomorrow morning. After we finish dessert."

~!~

Ittelat – Dothraki – to test

River wears Burberry. Considering who she is, how she grew up, and the fact that Burberry has been an icon for almost 200 years now, I can see it continuing into the future. If you want to see what I chose, and what Riv wears, go check out their website.

I really miss eating apples myself, but, I developed something called OAS, oral allergy syndrome, in which over-exposure the certain plants causes an allergic reaction to others. I grew up next to a birch tree = I'm allergic to raw apples. Sucks.


	15. Jaynestown

Jack held a hand up to silence her man. Just fifteen minutes ago he'd come up to the bridge, all sugar and whiskey, and started to rub her shoulders. The door had been kicked shut and there wasn't a single person about to get up and interrupt them. Jayne had eventually picked her up, sitting on her chair and pulling her down into his lap. Things had been going great until the transmission had come in. Nine times out of ten, Jayne didn't care if a transmission came through, he'd keep going. It made for some awfully interesting talks with their dealers.

"Dammit, Jayne, go wake Wash up," Jack pulled back with a laugh. "We finally got permission to land from Canton."

Jack found herself on the floor as soon as the word Canton had come from her mouth. Cold steel was biting against her butt and Jayne was on his knees in front of her, begging that she not tell Mal and the others.

"I can't tell Dad that our job isn't happening," Jack stood up. She pulled her pants up as she did so, glowering at the man in front of her. "We have a job, we're going to do it, and You are going to tell me what the hell got into you."

"Kyra, I ain't really sure Canton is the best choice." He glanced out the front window. "I, well, I mighta caused some trouble down there. Kinda trouble that maybe, might, demand my head."

Jack scowled at the man and hit the comm to Wash and Zoe's room. Obviously, Jayne wasn't going to be much help on this job; he didn't seem too keen on apologizing for dropping her on the ground either.

~!~

Inara watched as Kaylee and Simon flirted with one another in the corridor below her. Neither had noticed she was there yet, too wrapped up in themselves and the budding love each felt for the other. Her budding love was beginning to wither at the moment. Neither Mal nor Kyra nor Inara herself had been prepared for what they'd been told by the magistrate last night.

They could only land if Inara met with his son. It didn't matter how many times she told him she was retired. Mal had even pulled the indignant husband act, shouting at the magistrate for daring to proposition his fiancee. For just a moment, Inara had wished it were true.

"Come on, admit it, it's true," Kaylee laughed below her.

"No, I won't," Simon shook his head. He was smiling like a schoolboy at the mechanic. "Because it's not. I use swear words like anybody else."

"Oh really? See, I never heard you."

Inara had to smile again at the two of them. The bridge had been filled with cursing and shouts last night as she and her sister had dealt with Mal and Higgins. Riddick had come up after a few minutes, grumpy and all but growling; apparently Mal had turned the comm-link on with his elbow, waking the entire crew up. Riddick had only walked over to flick the comm system off before turning back to his bunk. Mal turned the link back on five minutes later, grinning like a school-boy while a big and burly man could be heard shouting up a storm. For all his trouble he'd only ended up shouted at by River and Kaylee for making more of a ruckus.

Inara let out a breath and began the walk towards her shuttle. They needed to land and get the job done. She and Mal had no real attachment at the moment and they didn't seem likely to for some time. Going to see the magistrate's son was as much her Guild duty as collecting new apprentices was. She'd just hoped no one would call on this part of her duty.

"Hey there Inara!" Kaylee called up. "Heading off for some glamorous romance and docking permission?"

"One out of two, mei mei," Inara laughed. "Simon managed to find some Good Night Kiss for me on our last stop."

Kaylee began to squeal in delight, gushing over what Simon had done for Inara. The doctor was trying to brush it off, blushing the long while as he was praised for his actions. The Guild Liason continued into her shuttle, heart dropping to see Kyra and Richard's personal affects had migrated for her little trip. Even with her sister nearly living with Jayne and Richard inhabiting his own bunk, they both lived with her. Lived with her for so long she'd almost forgotten what her room looked like without them.

~!~

Jack jerked awake as a crashing noise resounded through the kitchen. She and River had been listening to Book read to them. Not from his holy book, but from the storybook, where Aragorn and Frodo adventured through the world. Book's voice wasn't like Imam's, it wasn't as tired and rough, but it was just as comforting; Jack had fallen asleep in mere moments. The crash downstairs had turned into a crashing, multiple items being thrown about and when Jack rose to investigate, River was heading towards the crew bunks, shaken and muttering about scalpels.

This was the beginning of a bad day. Jack could feel it.

When she reached the infirmary, the area from which the crashing had come from, she was greeted with proof that the day was going to continue being bad. There in the middle, taping a gun to his abdomen, was Jayne. Simon was in there as well, shocked and gaping as Kaylee stood behind him talking about swear words.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jack asked, just as confused as the doctor.

"Needed to find some tape," Jayne answered. He tore another piece of it from the roll, very close to grinning at Simon's expression.

"So you had to tear my infirmary apart?" Simon was wading his way into the once-clean white room.

"Apparently."

"My god, you're like a trained ape," Simon picked his tools up. Jack was still upset for the stunt he'd pulled with River and Riddick, but he didn't deserve to have the infirmary destroyed; on _this_ ship with Their crew especially. "Without the training."

Jack felt Mal approach behind her. His hand came to rest on her shoulder for just a minute before he pushed his way into the infirmary and stood in front of Jayne.

"Jayne," Mal crossed his arms as he spoke. "I told you we're setting down at the Canton factory settlement on Higgins' Moon."

"Yep," Jayne nodded. "That you did."

Mal gave Jack a look. Jack could only shrug. She'd delivered both messages from both men in regards to weaponry, but neither seemed likely to budge and Jack was inclined to agree with her Captain Dad on this one.

"Canton don't allow guns in their town," Mal pointed out.

"Yes sir." Jayne looked downright proud of himself before his next words. "That's why I ain't strappin' one to my hip."

Dear god, Jayne was trying to be clever. Not a bad thing, most days it could work out alright for Jayne to be Clever. He was getting a helluva lot better at being Clever, but here and now was the worst time for him to try and convince the captain that bringing a gun was a good idea.

"No, that's why you ain't strappin' one anywhere," Mal spoke slowly, as though he were explaining to Zisa just why she shouldn't touch something.

"Aw, C'mon Mal, Kyra done told you what happened." Jayne was two expressions away from looking panicked. "You know I got myself into some trouble n'how I mighta made me a few enemies thereabouts."

"Enemies?" Simon gasped. "You? No, how ever could that have happened?"

Jack nearly snorted at that. Simon was Very slowly working his way back into her good graces, even if River and Riddick had forgiven him. Mal looked amused by the doctor's words too. Not that he let it show.

"Jayne, take it off and put a shirt on." Mal turned and walked to the door. "We're landing in ten and so help me, if you're packing I will shoot you myself."

Jayne watched Mal's retreating back, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy who'd had his bone taken away. Jack pulled him out as Simon grew yet more frustrated. She understood Jayne's reasoning, she really did, but that didn't stop her from slipping her fingers under the tape and ripping it from his belly. She did apologize when he whimpered, running her fingers along the now bare skin.

"You know," Jack smiled up at him. "Core boys pay a pretty penny to have folks rip their chest hair out."

"What in the gorram hell they wanna do that for?" Jayne asked. His skin was still red, and he was still looking pretty petulant, but he wasn't as upset as he'd been moments ago.

"Fancy ladies seem to think it's dignified." Jack tossed the ball of hairy tape at Simon's head. The sound he made had both of them grinning. "So, you going to apologize for this morning?"

"Yes Miss Serra, I certainly am." Jayne's arms wrapped around her waist. "In fact, I am most humbled by your continued attentions."

Even if he was a Rim-born hic, and even if he did butcher a helluva lot of words, Jack wouldn't have had him any other way.

~!~

Mal watched as his crew walked down the ramp and onto the planet proper. The only upside of doing a job on Canton was the lack of security and the fact no one set foot on the place that didn't have to. Course, there was one unfortunate little detail about the planet that made any honest thief wary. Canton happened to be a penal colony. Indentured servants unable to pay their debts, former hypes and kids who hadn't made the smartest of choices. Mal would have taken a deep breath had they been on any other planet, but...

"Canton really...stinks." Simon was making one of the strangest faces Jack had ever seen.

"Smells better than Crematoria," Riddick spoke as he passed Simon down the ramp. The convict was wearing a real shirt for once, somewhat. More a vest than anything else; it made him look like some kind of combat genie. "Barely."

"I'll be sure to cross that off of my vacation list," Wash nodded behind Simon. "Let's make sure to do this job fast. Really, really fast so we don't end up in Rick's favorite vacation spot."

"Sounds like a plan," Mal nodded at his pilot. "Kessler's our man. He's holding the goods we're supposed to deliver, so we go in, make contact, easy peasy. Zoe, I want you to go ahead and call Bernoulli. Tell him we'll have his goods by the end of the week."

"I left his number on the comm system." Jack was sitting on the ATV behind Mal, though she was looking at Zoe. "Riv's been talking about 'watchful amazons' and jelly beans lately, so you might want to let her rub your tummy or something."

Mal noticed as two men tensed at Jack's words. Simon's reaction was what it had always been. Drawn, tired, worried, the man was looking back into the cargo bay as though it might be the only place he ever saw the outside. Riddick wasn't so used to River and her bad days. Mal could see it in the man's shoulders. He could see the way Riddick's mouth drew into a hard line and his hands hand been fists since this morning. He'd been forced to help corral River last night, to get her away from the kitchen knives and into her bunk. Mal was fair to certain there hadn't been a once Riddick had watched someone fall apart like that. Not anyone he'd cared about leastways.

"I'm not entirely sure-"

Mal cut Simon off. "Now doc, I can't have you on ship when I need you on the job."

"That's a great idea captain!" Kaylee was beaming brighter than the sun above them.

"What?" Simon's face all but drained of color as the crew grinned or snickered around him. "I don't, I don't think..."

"I know you don't," Mal waved at him. "S'why you'll be perfect for what I have lined up for you."

"Go on boy, see the sights." Book clapped a hand on Simon's shoulder. "I can watch over your sister, we've been developing a rapport."

"I...I don't know," Simon shook his head. "River can be..."

"Simon, shut up and get on board," Jack groaned. "They've been discussing allegories and ethics in fairy tales."

"It's quite invigorating," Book smiled wide. "Now go on, I'm a shepherd, I should be able to keep an eye on a flock of one."

Mal had to grin along with the rest of them. Book and River's discussions would last until well into the morning cycle and only too many times would someone walk in and find themselves an example of one side or the other.

"We're not going that far doc," Mal adjusted himself. "And you might start making yourself useful."

Mal trailed off as he saw Jayne begin down the ramp. A heavy coat and a massive hat were covering his torso entirely from sight and a pair of diving goggles were covering the top half of his face. Almost everyone had fallen into a sort of silent shock at seeing the large man so hunched over and hidden. The captain shook himself first and dismounted from the atv before heading towards Simon on the ramp.

"Management don't take kindly to sightseers," Mal continued. "That's why we're posing as buyers."

"Doc does look the part," Riddick grinned from behind Simon.

"Right? Pretty lips, soft hands, certainly a moneyed individual. All lily white and groomed."

"Surrounded by daddy's thugs, couple of pretty things around him."

"Exactly, sitting down in his office, all pasty and counting his coin."

"All right!" Simon interrupted the two. "Fine. I'll go. Just...stop describing me."

"You're the boss," Mal saluted with a cheeky grin. "Boss."

"Give him a big gauge and a bullet wound, he's ice, ask Simon to act like a core bred pansy...You sure this is a good idea Mal?" Riddick asked.

He and Jayne were walking beside Mal, Bossman Simon just ahead of them. Simon looked skittish, real skittish. How the boy had ever managed to bust Riv out was beyond him. Maybe it was just dumb luck, or maybe god liked him, but if Simon got any twitchier Riddick was going to have to break one of his promises. Of course, causing problems on Canton wasn't the best course of actions for an escaped convict; neither was walking around on the moon.

"Boy needs to get some experience in the muck of things if he plans to survive," Mal defended. "Same as the two of you did, same as I did."

"He's got a late start," Jayne scowled neath his hood and goggles.

"Let's hope he doesn't get an early end." Riddick looked around to the people working in the mud pits. Some weren't more than children, born into slavery because their parents or grandparents fucked up. Guards were packing and leering at all of them, even the crew. Especially the crew. Kaylee and Jack were the cleanest and shiniest some of these bastards had seen in a long time. Shiny enough to make a few men stop working altogether.

The warden noticed.

"Area's employees only!" He shouted, coming towards the crew. Riddick had seen this guy somewhere before. Where, he couldn't say. Only that he had and that the foreman had pissed him off even then. "You best be getting back to landing, unless you have business here."

Mal gave Simon an elbow to the back to push him forward.

"Yes!" the doctor almost shouted. "Yes, I, I'm looking to buy some, uh mud. For ship parts."

Riddick could smell the glee coming off of Kaylee over Simon's words. It was bright and sweet, like warm lemonade and honey. Simon was picking up on it beyond the way most humans might have, his shoulders relaxed and his chin lifted despite the fact he couldn't even see the mechanic. It made Riddick wonder if somehow the doc was tapping into that Furyan side just a little bit. He'd been exposed to his and Beautiful's blood multiple times, a spirit or two might have jumped skin.

"Of course we can handle any volume here," Warden crowed. "We have over 2000 workers, most are thieves and debtors, some few are paid, though it is next to nothing. That way, we can pass the savings directly on to you, the customer."

"I'm not concerned with savings," Simon shook his head. "I'm concerned with the quality of the mud. Quality and quantity. You can provide both, correct?"

"Of course we can!"

"What happened to Simon?" Wash leaned over to ask Kaylee. "Who is this diabolical master of disguise?"

"Not entirely sure, but I think I might like it." Kaylee had never seen Simon in this sort of mood. Sure, he knew how to take control in a medical fashion, but most times he didn't seem to know where to put his feet when he was walking. Seeing him like this, Kaylee didn't doubt he'd been able to sneak in for River without half an issue. It made her kind of hot too, seeing him in a take charge mood, a take anything kind of mood.

"We're going to survey the premises," Simon cut Warden off. "My father doesn't care about what is in his parts, but I do." He looked across the workers. "I'll decide on whether or not I'll make an account by tomorrow."

"Of course," the foreman nodded jerkily. He walked off to another mud field, shouting at anyone who crossed in front of him or dared to look up.

Kaylee would have run up and gushed over Simon's performance, but Mal stepped up instead, smiling wide.

"I think we might have to use the bossman a bit more often," Mal laughed. "You can be right intimidating when you want to be." Mal turned to the rest of the crew. "Alright, let's head into the worker town and find our man. Get this job done and back in the black."

"Boy's gonna get us killed," Jayne snorted. "He aught to head back to ship and pretend he's callin' his daddy."

"Simon did a great job at pretending," Kaylee defended. "Better job at disguising himself than you leastwise. Who are you supposed to be anyhow?"

"He's supposed to be incognito," Riddick snorted. "Sticks out more than you and Jack."

Kaylee tried not to shiver at the way Riddick said that. Hell, she tried not to shiver over a lot of things he did, man right unnerved her. He never did anything particularly aggressive towards her and Simon had a sort of trust in the man Kaylee could sort of understand bein that they were kin. Still, he was downright scary most days.

"You haven't been here in years Jayne," Wash argued against the case. "You really think you need that getup? No one's going to remember you."

Kaylee looked over to Mal to see what he had to say about the whole thing, but her captain was staring at something mighty big and intimidating. Jack and Simon were staring at it too. It made the argument about recognition fade away into nothing as she came to stand next to them. Because standing there, high atop a pedestal was Jayne Cobb, without the disguise and without a gun, but looking very angry. Just like he always did.

"You three wanna shaddup?" Mal shouted.

Kaylee could hear the conversation trail into silence and the heavy footsteps of the boys coming closer. It was downright insane, the way she knew Jayne Cobb was standing right behind here, and still looked to be right in front of her.

"Son of a bitch." Simon took a step back from the mud statue, tilting his head this way and that.

"Jayne?" Mal asked, careful not to let his eyes leave the stone face above him.

"Yeah?" Jayne asked, trying to hide behind Jack's much smaller form. She looked between the statue and Jayne several times, trying to find some difference between the two.

"You want to tell me how come there's a statue of you here looking at me like I owe him something?"

"Wishing I could captain."

"Shitty job of low profile Jayne," Riddick spoke as he moved closer to the statue. "Might want to consider less bar fights."

"Fair to certain they don't give statues away for barfights," Mal turned to face his hiding gunman. "Jackie, hop on the cortex and find out what happened, yeah?"

"Look Mal," Jayne moved forward, a hand on Jack's wrist to keep her from grabbing up the cortex. "I got no ruttin' idea why anythings put up. Yeah, I was here a few years back, pulled a second story, stole a lot of scratch from the magistrate up on the hill." Jayne fell silent as some workers passed close by. The entire crew waited quietly for them to pass, feigning disinterest and bordom until they were well out of earshot. "Things went south, way south. I had to hightail it."

"They don't give out statues for jobs turned sour," Jack shook her head.

"Looking at some mighty compelling evidence says they do," Mal shook his head.

"This must be what going mad feels like," Simon breathed. He looked over to Riddick. "You don't have a statue do you?"

"Almost was one." The convict was smiling wide as he circled the statue. "I think they got Jayne pretty good though." Jack could see a tenseness in his shoulders that wasn't there before. Ever so slight, and despite his amusement, there was something just a little off about him. If they hadn't spent so much time together these last few months, she might never have noticed it.

"Yeah, really captured his essence." Wash was still tilting his head back and forth at the thing.

"Looks sort of angry, don't he?" Kaylee was starting to move around too.

"That's kinda what I meant," Wash nodded.

A whistle sounded around them, high and shrill, It made all of them wince. The doors of several buildings swung open, workers filing out while the guards escorted them to the fields. Shift four was going on duty according to the message going out over the comm system. It was a shrill reminder that they were criminals sneaking around on a prison planet and trying to smuggle illegal goods while harboring universally known fugitives.

"Hey, I got an idea," Jayne hissed. "Instead of us hanging around playing art critic til I get pinched by the man, hows about we move away from this eerie ass hunk of mud and get on with our increasingly eerie ass day?"

"I'm finding it eerie how often I'm agreeing with a merc," Riddick came back around. "Aughta find our man Cap. Recognize the warden, chance he might end up recognizing me."

"Eerie is right," Jack leaned back. "There's something about it that makes me feel like he's going to see me no matter what I do."

"Everywhere I go, his eyes keep following me," Kaylee hummed.

~!~

Jack didn't like Canton and she definitely didn't like Higgin's Moon. She'd spent her fair share of time on this moon before she'd landed herself on the Hunter Gratzner. She'd helped the bartender clean out his cellars her last pass through and she knew for a fact that two of the women offering their services to workers were younger than her. Canton had a way of claiming people and Higgin's made it possible. She snorted into her drink. Let them keep the statue, she sure as hell wasn't giving Jayne or any of her crew up any time soon.

Riddick was strangely relaxed considering. Maybe it had to do with the no guns policy and the fact the bar didn't have guards in it. Or maybe it had something to do with the beer he'd essentially downed upon entering the dive bar. He and Jayne both were drinking an awful lot since entering.

"I wonder if they'd do a commission for me," Jack hummed as the crew sat silent in the bar. Silence could draw just as much attention as shouting. They had enough attention from he little boy who just kept staring at them. Mal looked grateful she'd spoken up. "Maybe pack it over to your ma."

"Hell Kyra, you know it can't be a statue'a me. Ain't no reason for it." Jayne shook his head and began on his next drink. "Flies in the face of every kind of sense.

"Won't argue with that," Mal grinned. "Then again, you seem to drive a body's sense away from them."

"Dad..."

Wash spit his drink across the table before the familiar argument could break out. He gagged a few times before spitting a little bit more.

"Zhe shi she me lan dong xi," Wash coughed out. The earthen cup was pushed far away from him as she began to rub his tongue on his shirt.

"They call it Mudder's Milk," Jayne grinned at him. He took a large swallow and Wash gagged once more. "All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner. And it's fifteen percent alcohol."

"They have it over in Climatum," Riddick grinned. "Three liquid meals a day, liquid snacks, and a full two hours yard time."

"Well it worked for the Egyptians," Simon stared down into a cup of the swill. "I can see why they'd give it to cons and workers." Simon was met with a variety of stares, some interested and others less so. At least the little boy had someone to focus on now. "The Egyptians, back from Earth-that-was, they'd make something like this to keep the slaves from starving and the alcohol kept them from rioting."

"Smart way to keep people where they don't want to be," Riddick lifted his glass.

Jayne clinked his own against Riddick's, reminding Jack of just how uneasy they could make a person feel. Particularly when they agreed on something. She dreaded the day Mal would join them on anything. Speaking of, her captain dad was mumbling to himself as he stared at a very clean and well dressed man. The man was coming towards them, bushy moustache hiding his upper lip from view, though an inbuilt frown couldn't be hidden.

Jack shifted to get a look at him, somewhat frustrated with the little boy who just kept moving into her way. She tried to gently nudge him away, but he only leaned against her attempts.

"Go on and shake your head boy," Jayne scowled at him. "Your eyes stuck?"

The little boy leaned back on awe before scurrying away. Jack made herself focus on the well dressed man and the deal he was brokering with Serenity. She could talk to Jayne about it later. Only a few seconds in, Jack could tell this wasn't their man. It was a man that happened to get involved.

"You wouldn't be looking for Kessler?" the man asked, taking a seat beside Mal at their table.

"Just having a brew," Mal lifted his cup.

"Hm, I knew a man named Kessler." the man looked at the dirt covered room as though it were tempting.

"Knew?" Jack asked. The man looked at her for a moment before answering.

"He was a good middleman, low profile, didn't snitch. Might have moved up in management." The man shook his head in annoyance. "Last week the warden heard he was moving contraband through town. Gave him a peck of trouble for it."

"What kind of a peck?" Mal asked. His glass was just to his lips, giving those around him the idea he was drinking.

"The kind where they hacked his hands and feet of with a machete," the man answered easily. "Then they rolled him into a bog."

Jack had to agree with Wash's assessment of the pecking order around here. It was a harsh punishment for a rumor, didn't matter if it was true or not. Mal went right back to business though, bringing up their client and their goods. It was one thing to hear your supplier was dead, another to tell your client. Particularly a client you didn't know anything about. The man assured Mal that everything was not only fine, but it was ready to go as soon as they had the chance. Jack took down the new man's account information easily enough, not altogether convinced that this man hadn't been involved in Kessler's departure. Didn't mater though, not so long as their crew was safe and sound. The man rose as she took down his last account number, tilting his head ever so slightly as someone began to tune his guitar.

"Well then, change in the job don't change the job," Mal turned back to his crew. "Ricky, you heard anything of this warden guy?"

"Not til I heard about the machete," he leaned back. "Called him The Puppet back in the Slam, liked to kidnap girls and boys bout Jack and Riv's age, hack em up and string em up in public places."

"So how'd a man like that get put in charge of anything?" Jack wondered.

"Jayne." the man with the guitar sang out that singular word and halted the explanation Riddick may or may not have given them.

"Yeh-soo ta ma duh," Wash laughed as the busker began to sing. Jack wasn't laughing, she was listening very carefully as she watched her man's face go pale. His head nearly hit the table a few seconds later; Jack almost laughed at the idea that her man had given up money for anything except Ma Cobb or herself.

"Uh, Jayne?" Mal leaned over. His eyes were fixed on the singer and a grin was growing every so slightly on his lips. "You uh, you got any light you'd like to shed on this development?"

"No Mal," Jayne shrank slightly.

"I was wrong before," Simon slouched in his seat. "This must be what going mad feels like."

Still the singing continued, this time with the mudders singing along, grinning wide. Some were starting to dance and some few others were waking up to join in Simon's proclaimed madness. It was catchy, enough so that Wash was humming along and Kaylee was bobbing her head.

"I'll be gorrammed," Jayne moaned. The crew turned to look at him. "That's where the cash went. I stole that money from Higgins like the song says, but it weren't like that. Stole a hovercraft and got tagged and started losing altitude." Jayne took a swig from his bottle of milk. "Sixty-grand untraceable, and I had to drop it right in the middle of town to stay airborne."

"We gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero," Wash grinned like a child.

The song continued for some time, mudders dancing and cheering as it came to a close. Jack was almost sad to hear it end, catchy tune that it was. Completely inaccurate and beyond out of character, but catchy.

"I think now's a good time to get the hell out of here," Riddick shifted forward. "Don't fancy breaking out of the Puppet's playground with a dumbass Mie Xu."

"I reckon that's quite a reasonable request considering the circumstances." Mal gave the room a quick glance around before rising. The rest of them rose a bit slower to avoid notice, Riddick finishing his drink before he stood while Jack and Kaylee 'finished' a conversation. The crew had gotten better at leaving normally since Riddick had joined them, even if Mal didn't seem to care how he left. Jayne, who normally took the utmost care to at least look normally drunk when he left, shot out of the bar before everyone else was completely standing.

"Lookin awful frustrated there Jack," Kaylee mentioned when Jayne burst out the doors. A roar of cheers combined with the chanting of Jayne's name. "I'm not gonna have to bail you outta jail am I?"

"No," Jack glowered as Jayne ran down the stairs and up to the bar. "But you may need to help me hide a body."

The entire bar erupted with noise as Jack finished speaking, and damn it all if Jayne didn't look as uncomfortable as she felt.

Riddick stalked up the ramp and into the belly of Serenity. The roar of the town was behind him, cheering and music echoing through the boggy valleys and up to the dock. The Puppet was prowling along the edge of the town, watching and waiting for anything to cross his path. The man didn't find something soon, he'd start hunting. Some Mudder girl was going to disappear and not a soul would raise a fuss about it when, if, she was found. No, they'd keep working.

He didn't want River to sit through it alone. The first night Shirah came to him, back when he was a company man, she'd started waking the spirits up. The heartbeats of his bunkmates, of the slaves, all of them. Heartbeats turned into scents, a feeling for each shift in the air until Fear and Rage were as easy to recognize as up and down. Happiness and Sorrow were as left and right. Pain was the one he recognized first.

His Khalessi was waiting for him to find her. Hiding from the Shepard who only spouted fairy tales and whimsy. He could scent her now, fear and paranoia cutting through the air like rancid lemons. IT came from deep within a storage compartment to his right, hidden behind crates and beneath the stairs. Riddick crouched down in front of the dark nook and pulled his goggles up. She was huddled in the back, arms around her knees.

"_Kisha eth_ hide," she whispered from deep within. "It burrows into his skull, changing his thoughts, cracking and splitting..._ogat nayat attihat mae_ off to _eyak. _The Puppet dances tonight."

Riddick climbed into the nook, shutting it behind him. He took her searching hand in his own as he sat down between her and the exit. Hardly a moment passed before she'd climbed into his lap and wound her arms around his neck.

"Nearly a statue, still as stone as she dances for her captors."

"No dancing tonight Zhaena," Riddick rumbled quietly. He kissed her temple and leaned back against the wall. "Nothing outside of this place right here."

~!~

"To Jayne!"

"To me!"

Jack was trying very hard not to hit the savior of the Mudders over the head with the bottle of Mudders milk in her hand. Five times she'd tried to get closer to her man, the first few times just to get him orders from Dad, then it was more to do with the fact he had some ginger haired floosie hanging off of him. Jayne wasn't interested, she knew, but the more alcohol he got in him the less aware he tended to be.

"Reckon maybe I can pretend I never heard a shot," Kaylee laughed as Simon leaned against her shoulder.

"I can tell you exactly where to shoot," Simon nodded drunkenly. "There's actually, if you stab someone just here," he poked Kaylee in the side, causing a giggle. "You can do a whole lot of damage...can't even pick it up until it's too late."

Jack shook her head and lifted an empty bottle as Jayne started toasting again. One quick flick of the wrist and he'd be covered in the yeasty smelling liquid.

"You know, I, I have saved dozens of lives," Simon watched the bottl in Jack's hand. "Maybe hundreds! I even reattached a girl's leg once, her whole leg." Jack did stop to look at simon then. The bottle went back to the table as he told of his own triumphs. "She named her hamster after me. A hamster...he drops a box of money, he gets a town."

"You suck at being a terrorist," Jack snorted. "You know, we should trigger a bunch of tech glitches, and leave a hamster behind..."

"The mark of the hamster," Kaylee cheered. "Ya'll can attack banks and whatnot."

Simon was thinking hard about it even as Jack started thinking up codes and delivery systems. If the Alliance was going to call them terrorists and hunt them down, why shouldn't they act out? In his brief time on the Rim, Simon had seen quite enough to develop a cause.

"A blue hamster," Simon nodded his head. He was wearing a very serious face, determined to make himself a name.. "Grandmere, she always said I was thoughtless. That, I didn't have a purpose. Well you know what, forget her. I do have a purpose."

"Yeah!" Jack and Kaylee cheered him on. His arm wrapped itself around Kaylee's waist and both looked thrilled the other didn't mind.

"I am the blue hamster!"

The bar cheered, and while it was for Jayne and his idiotic behavior, two voices were strictly for the Blue Hamster. A third voice joined the two, just a wee bit confused by their isolated celebration, but Mal had never been too upset with rebels and seperatists.

"Alright, time to get out of this nuthouse kids." Mal waved them to stand and Jack did so a bit too quickly. "Steady there Jackie, got some plannin' to do."

"Now Captain?" Kaylee asked. "Things are going so well."

"Well, Jayne's certainly feeling better about life," Mal scoffed as he looked over at the bar. The redheaded barmaid was feeling the scruffy man up, and Jayne was getting a bit too drunk to care as much as he should. "But the fact remains, we got a job and this place-"

"Dad, Things are going Well," Jack pointed at the now distracted Simon and Kaylee.

"Oh! Well. I see," Mal poked Simon in the head to regain their attention. "Tell you what, while Jayne is stuck here with his adoring masses, you two keep an eye on things. Jackie!"

The tech girl gave Kaylee a wink as Mal turned and began to walk back to the ship. Good. Kaylee and Simon didn't need to dance around each, they'd only end up hurting each other. Jack gave one last glance to Jayne before she ducked out completely. Hurting each other...the clay bottle made a very nice crack against his skull seconds after it left her fingertips. She could hear him roar as she left the bar, quieting as he realized just Who was walking out.

Mal said nothing beside her as they walked. He was quiet and calm, a hand on her shoulder for a few moments once they left sight of the bar. He might throw him in the airlock again, possibly cut him out of the next job, but Jack knew the dumb merc wasn't going to get fired. They needed him.

"You sure ol' Ricky boy can't work in the day-time?" Mal asked before they got to the ramp.

"Never said he couldn't Dad, but You don't need the feds crackin' down because he shivved someone for making eyes' at your girls."

Jack's boots thumped up the ramp, pausing as she saw the strange spectacle in front of them. Wash must have returned early, because he was cackling at something while Book was talking at a hole in the wall. The sight alone was enough to make Jack stop and wonder. Zoe was quick to pull away from her husband to look at the captain and his daughter.

"Where you been Mal? Bernoulli's chomping at the bit. Says he wants his merchandise yesterday."

"Yeah, well, we still got a few wrinkles to iron out." Mal walked further into the cargo bay. His eyes had been caught by Book and the hole as well, until two silvery spots shone out from the darkness. "Found out I might need to kill my son-in-law some."

"No," Jack scowled as Riddick's boot poked itself out from the dark hole. "Turns out Jayne is a bona fide folk hero here on Canton. Everything from a song to a statue."

"Here I thought my husband was drinking." Zoe glanced back at Wash. The man was a giggling mess as he nodded in agreement. "You telling me that Jayne..."

"Saw it earlier," Riddick rumbled from the mouth of the nook he sat in. River could be heard mumbling bhind him in that strange and gutteral language, a single pale hand holding tight to his shoulder. "Puppet's a bit pissed off at him. Probably snagged up a local girl, decided to cut into her. Come morning, you'll see the kid strung up in the town square." Riddick pulled back into the darkness. "Probably have a riot over it if Jayne's half the man Kyra thinks he is."

Mal scowled as the door of the storage space was pulled shut and the two Furyans closed themselves off from the world. Riv had been downright unsettling before and Riddick was renowned for being a scary hun dan, put together they could scare the sight out of a man's eyes. The scariest part of all was the fact they were usually right about people.

"Suppose that'd put a bit of a crimp in the Jayne Day celebration I got 'em to throw..." Wash was staring pensively at the place Riddick and River had been.

"A riot's bound to happen whether Jayne leads it or not." Jack started up the steel stairs towards her bunk. "Spent a year or so here before I ran into Riddick on Hades, before Jayne's box of money. They get angry enough and it burns right through the alcohol. Give them a dead girl on a day of honor...you might want to keep Serenity warm while we get the goods on board."

Jack left for her bunk as they continued to plan the day out behind her. Riddick and River were bunking down in the bay tonight and Inara was off with Higgin's wuss of a son. It made the ship a bti lonely to tell the truth. Out in the black you just wanted to be away from everyone, but once a girl hit dirt she didn't want to be alone. Especially tonight when her man was...

"Whatever," Jack shook her head and kicked the door of the bunk open. She'd throw a blanket out for him before she locked up; he'd better use it too if he knew what was good for him. "Stupid man. I should have known a damn merc would do this."

Jack jerked awake when the comm in her room started to make noise. The low strum of a guitar was filtering through the air as a low and slightly drunken voice hummed a string of notes and nonsense. Jayne had come back to the ship and while he couldn't enter their room, he'd found a way to get in. The tech girl reached over for the response button, missing it the first few times in her sleep adled mind.

"I'm angry at you," she grumbled into the system.

"I know. S'why I left right after you did. Told them Mudders I had a treasure of my own, s'why I didn't need the money."

"You didn't even know me then," Jack snorted. She was trying to ignore what he'd said about her.

"Don't matter none if its true. Go on back to sleep bao bei." The soft strum of his guitar picked up again and Kyra drifted off to sleep, still annoyed, but happy Jayne was alive. The Puppet hadn't grabbed him up and Mal didn't roll him into a bog and Riddick was wasn't cutting him into tiny pieces.

Jayne focused on the guitar in his hands instead of the gun at his back. Zoe was standing behind him with her Mare's Leg cocked and ready to spread his brains all across the console. Riddick had poked his head in a few minutes ago, and Mal a few minutes before him. Simon was poking his head in just now, stumbling over.

"Just keep moving," Zoe waved them off. "Someone's apologizing."

"Pfft, I don't care," Simon waved him off. "I'm, I'm looking for some paper. The Blue Hamster needs a plan."

Jayne nearly stumbled in his playing as Simon moved around him in search of paper. He found several sheets before stumbling out and to his bunk, Kaylee following him down the hall towards the passenger bunks. What in the sam hell was that boy talkin' on? Zoe's shotgun moved away from Jayne's neck and she stood up. The gruff man was sobered up now and looking mighty contrite about what he'd done tonight. Fact was, he'd been bawling like a baby when she'd gone to collect him. Talkin' to all of Canton about his treasure, his diamond in the sky, his celestial maid, a collection of names each more elaborate and worshiping than the last. Jayne had stumbled after Zoe when she'd come into the bar to get him, shaking off the muddied whores and the drunken fans as he thanked her for letting him back on the ship.

The gun was really just to keep Mal and Riddick from doing something overly stupid. Stupid like a Blue Hamster.

"You play until your fingers bleed if you have to," Zoe said. It was more for show than need. "You have a job to do in the morning and Jack has to be in a stable and working mind."

"Yup." Jayne didn't even look up.

Zoe however, needed to go and sit with her man in hopes he might know what the hell was wrong with Simon. Convicts and crazies and mad doctors cavorting with mechanics...the ship was going to be a lot of fun soon enough, or a lot of trouble.

~!~

"You're not going to kill him," Jack told Mal for the nth time. "If anyone is going to kill him, it's going to be me. Not you, not Riddick, me."

"Not Jackie, every little girl's daddy has the right to shoot a man's done her wrong in some fashion."

Mal was not listening to her as they rode down into town. He was, in fact, riding in the trailer of the atv while Riddick drove. Zoe was on board again, her mister keeping her company, while Book rode in the trailer with Mal. True to River's word, a young woman had been found this morning, strung up and gutted. The mudders hadn't a single holy man to send her off and Book was almost eager to actually help someone. They let him off before they continued through town, directing him towards the weeping and cries of the enslaved. He hurried off and they were driving again, focusing on the job once more...somewhat.

"Zoe pointed a shotgun at me last night," Riddick laughed. The two of them were sitting back to back on the atv. "Just wanted to say hello to the guy."

"Bullshit," Jack snorted. "You were both going to try and kill him. The comm was on, I heard every word."

"Then you should know exactly what I said to him," Mal nodded. "You're going to be captain one day Jackie, can't let you get a ruinous past 'fore you even start out." Even Riddick laughed at that one. "Least, moreso than you already have. Point is, Ricky and I got every right to make as many threats as we like."

At least pick-up seemed to go alright. Riddick and Mal hefted the massive containers onto the trailer, thankful that Kaylee and Simon had found their way there sometime last night. Judging by the mud on their clothes they'd had quite a drunken and hungover adventure. One without naked fun. The cargo was loaded quickly, quietly, with Kaylee acting as lookout while Jack and Simon buckled things down and covered them up. They were even helpful enough to hop on the back and look downright ashamed as Mal loomed over them, Jack and Riddick still riding up front as they passed through town.

Men and women and children were shouting her man's name while Book quietly hopped on next to Jack. How the little machine managed, she had no idea, but it went along, dragging crew and cargo behind ever so slowly as they went through town. It even picked up more speed once they got out, rolling right up the ramp into Serenity's cargo bay.

"Zoe, make sure the cargo gets packed in nice, Wash, get Sernity heated up, wanna leave inside of an hour." Mal turned to Jack and motioned for her to follow him. "Gotta make sure Jayne lives long enough for you to kill him."

The people of Canton were watching as their hero took a stand in front of his own statue. He'd a heart, a kindness about him not many had seen in a long time. And his woman? Well, she'd shown up and she was standing near enough to him that all could see her. Clean and bright, just like the star he'd claimed her to be. Some few remembered her as one of the few who'd made it out. Just a kid then, mouthy and naive. She'd grown up, found herself a hero, but there was still trouble in her eyes; at least, some would claim that when they retold the story of Jayne Day.

The story of how Hessian Stitch stumbled into the town square with rage and hatred in his eyes, interrupting their hero's tale with slander and venom. They'd tell of how he'd pointed his gun not at Jayne, but at his woman, grinning wild for all to see. Yes, people would tell the tale of Jayne and his love.

Kyra watched as Stitch switched from herself to Mal. It had been a fairly normal speech given the circumstances. Why hadn't he come out sooner? Better still, why was the man packing heat on a prison planet while the guards were watching? Never mind, stupid question. The guards were looking on with glee, waiting for the man to shoot Jayne between the eyes so they could destroy the mudders a little bit more. The puppet was waiting to clap irons around anyone who ran with Jayne; herself and Kaylee in particular.

"Now why don't you just let ol' Stitch speak his piece?"

"Go on then," Mal raised his hands and backed away. Her cap'n dad, angry as he was with Jayne was still trying to defend him. Or maybe he was just trying to keep the peace. Either way, Kyra had taken the opportunity to move behind Jayne and out of the way of the gun. Jayne'd shifted further in front of her too, one arm shifting to keep her out of harms way.

"Whole lot of Money in the magistrate's safe, weren't there Jayne?" Stitch grinned with a mouth full of rotting teeth. "Got away clean too! But then our plane took a hit and we're going down. Dumped the fuel reserve, the life support, hell, we even dumped the seats!" Stitch shook his head, resting his gun against his head. "Then, there's Jayne, the money, and me...and there ain't no way he's gonna dump the money."

"He did!" someone shouted from the crowd. "He dropped it on the mudders!"

"By accident you in-bred dung-head! He tossed me out first!" Stitch let another shot ring out in the direction of whomever had shouted. "Fer Six months we run together! He turned me out before Ic ould scream..."

"You'd have done the same," Jayne spoke calm and cold.

"No," Stitch shook his head, gun pointing at Jayne once more. "You protect the man you're with! You watch his back...Everybody knows that! Well, except the hero of Canton. No, hero gets away, gets hisself a pretty little thing and a ship!"

"You gonna talk me to death buddy?" Jayne asked. "Is that the plan?"

"Nah, This is the plan."

The story would tell of how thunder had echoed through the air and struck a man down. It would tell of the rage and pain that had echoed in his eyes and in his voice. Jayne the Hero had thrown a knife from his boot and struck the villain down in a shot before throwing himself at the man as well. His woman had been the one to pull him from his pain, the unnamed star he'd fallen in love with.

And then, it would tell of his final speech. It would tell of how he'd flew into the sky while the people rioted once more. Not in his name, but in their own.

~!~

Kyra walked slowly to Jayne, tea in one hand and whiskey in the other. He'd been quiet since they left Canton; even through the mad dash back to the ship and the troublesome take-off. He hadn't really moved from this place since. Even when he sat down, he hadn't left this single place on the catwalk. He was sitting now, staring at the knife he'd used to kill Stitch. Kyra set their drinks down before she took a seat next to him.

"No one pushed him."

Jayne nodded slowly, though he didn't believe her words.

"And you won't even hear the shot when Inara takes you down." Finally a response. A light smile was on his face, just at the corner of his mouth. "Assuming Richard doesn't take you out first...that one would be much less fun, so stick to the light if you piss him off."

"Don't reckon i'd make it far off the ship," Jayne took the glass of whiskey. "I am sorry 'bout last night bao bei."

"I know." Kyra leaned against his shoulder and sipped her tea. "You're nto the same man anymore Jayne. You're better. Jayne who threw Stitch out the window wouldn't have done what you did today, or half the things you've done since I met you."

"Didn't know the old me," Jayne tried to argue. He was silenced by Kyra's fingers on his lips.

"Don't have too. I know a merc when I see one. I know bastards and pushers, I've been harrased by pimps and I live with smugglers and cons. I know how to spot a good man Jayne Cobb." She leaned against him once more and closed her eyes. "You're a good man. My good man. Next time i'm throwing the bottle at whatever bimbo tried to touch you."

"And I will duck."

~!~

we must ... kill (the) girl, show her..everyone

I just had the terribly interesting thought of Dr. Brennan is conceivably the ancestor of River Tam. That means Simon would be related to Seely Booth...Sorry it took so long. I had enough tests and projects to make anyone break down and cry. But it's up! And y'all love me! And StS is making VERY slow progress and CiWL is pushing me to write something else while T:VS is very eager to get three chapters ahead of itself. I'm going to try very hard not to start a new fic before these are done, but I can't guarantee anything.

Also, not a great fan of this episode, so it's quite choppy and missing a lot of scenes. No worries though. The next chapter will be longer. Also! Skipping Out of Gas as it covers how everyone met and I've pretty much gone over that in the first five chapters. Vaako makes an appearance in the next chapter and we learn a tiny bit more about his chosen bride; very important in necro culture. Chosen vs. Won.

Anyhow, leave a review, I haven't had many recently...


	16. Calaban

Calaban – Roma-Grecia Rim planet

Highly volcanic, specializes in fertile soil. Need a shipping crew to deliver several crates of NeuGro to Lykae for a client. May be delivered at any time within the year. Necro ship lands with Vaako, searching for Riddick. He may have pissed a few people off. Serenity and crew must get the hell out of Dodge.

Kyra Serra woke up in a very disagreeable manner.

The rumble ad rattle of landing always brought her out of a deep sleep, but she'd never really wake up until they landed. This time she was thrown out of bed, landing on the padded floor of the shuttle in hardly more than her undergarments. It was bad enough the climate controls had blown out two days back, now Wash seemed to think they were just one big martini. Jack fell again as she tried to stand, a sudden fear floating across her brain that this would all end very badly. She didn't even throw pants on as she exited the shuttle, gripping the handrail to keep from falling down into the bay.

Kaylee's voice echoed up from the engine room and River's shouts could be heard from near to the infirmary.

The bridge was full of people all scrambling to fix something they couldn't help with.

"I need a good copilot Mal," Wash shouted. "One who follows my orders!"

"It's my ship and..."

Jack leaned over him and hit the comm, pushing Mal out of the seat as she did. He'd messed everything up and Jack wasn't surprised Wash was having trouble.

"Riddick, need a copilot!"

Mal scowled and held tight to a nearby rail as Jack scrambled to fix what she could and stay in her seat. Riddick came up only a few seconds later, sliding in as Jack tumbled out. Wash was piloting evasively. From where she'd landed she had much better access tot he computer system.

"What the fuck happened?" Riddick growled as he started operating the co-system.

"Some yi da dwei bun chou roh decided to take off too fast," Wash growled just as well as he dodged a chunk of something. "Hit another ship and now there's chunks flying very...Gou cao de!"

A rather large chunk of something very narrowly collided with Serenity's bow, as it was they could hear and feel the scrap of metal against metal. Jack grabbed tight to a steel beam as the ship tilted violently forward. Something down in the engine room must have fizzed out because Kaylee was cursing a storm and the grav-core seemed to think everyone needed to be in the air.

"This is gonna hurt," Mal grumbled as he drifted back towards the door and into the bunk area. His arms were folded as he scowled at them, but Jack focused more on rrouting th power where it needed to go. Wonderful as the ship was, and considering Mr. U's connections with the shipyards, some things just needed to be adjuste in life or death situations.

"I can't get to the landing strip," Wash hissed as he finally began to smooth their descent. "I'm landing us at the flat greenish part."

Riddick's voice went across to the harbormaster as Wash steered the ship clear of the final few chunks. The docks were full tot he brim with ships and fire, not a person would be upset they went someplace else.

~!~

"I want to go back to Canton," Simon grumbled from the ramp.

"Same here," Kyra scowled.

The flat green part was a swamp. Just enough space to land serenity and trees tall enough to hide her, it would have been perfect. If it wasn't a swamp. It stank, it was humid, and Kyra could feel the grime settling on her skin, mingling with the moisture and her own sweat. Climate control on the fritz, communications screwed all to hell thanks to the ebn el metanaka who'd taken off too qucik, and now they were five miles from town in a swamp where the mule wouldn't work.

At least River had calmed down. She wasn't talking about bio-raptors anymore and she was sitting very quietly in the bay. Perched on the crate Riddick leaned against, watching the water and humming in Furyan.

"Is that a leech?" Simon asked. Kyra looked at him and he pointed. A wriggly black worm thing had crawled up out of the water and was now making it's way towards them. "Oh my god..."

"Dad!" Kyra turned and shouted into the ship. "Damnit...How do you keep leeches away?"

"Salt, vinegar, poison," Simon stood and started backing into the bay. "River! Can you get something that could help?"

The dancer skipped away and Kyra watched as three more poked their heads out of the water.

"Guai." Inara's voice sounded just behind them. She had a pair of Jack's shorts in one hand while she had elected to wear a shorter dress than usual. Tea length instead of dragging the floor. "Leeches? Mal!"

Mal's voice echoed through the ship as River came back into the bay. She didn't bring poison or salt or vinegar. Instead, she handed over a jar and a pair of hemostats.

"Thank you," Simon got out. "I suppose I should have been specific."

"Yes." River stepped out on the ramp to look before hurrying back in. She was scowling somewhat and she looked incredibly offended. "The girl will be staying on the ship."

As it stood, Jack wondered if they shouldn't just take a shuttle into town to gt their job and a bunch of leech killer. There were ten of them crawling up now, and Simon was curling his lips as he looked at the one he'd caught. Plunk into the jar he held, slowing it's movement before he caught another one that was getting too close. Mal came into the bay, demanding to know what was so important before he caught sight of what was happening. His anger melted away and irritation took over.

"Worse than Canton," Mal made his way down the stairs. "Hell, reminds me of Nawleans, lost five men to the mosquitos alone."

"Lets not lose anyone to anything," Inara backed away as Simon darted over to catch an alarmingly close one. "Please, let's just get the job done and get out of here."

They did end up taking a shuttle, the spare one of course, neither Serra sister wanted anything in their living space that didn't belong there. Wash and Kaylee stayed behind, as did Jack and Jayne, all focused on repairs and heavy lifting. Zoe was sitting pretty in the infirmary waiting for the doc to check her out. None of those left were entirely thrilled about the mission and Simon...

Well, he'd just have to deal with it.

~!~

"Gege is distraught," River hummed from her seat. Riddick was piloting the shuttle while Daddy and Inavva argued back and forth. "Did not expect the Beast to fulfill his challenge so quickly."

"Anha zalat shafka," Riddick laughed as they moved smoothly through the air. "Shafka zalat Anha, Khalessi."

"Dis," River agreed, leaning back against the steady seat. "He will let her mra yora okre."

"Will I?" Riddick asked as he found a place to land the shuttle. She could hear the amusement in his head as he dropped the suddenly, eliciting a yelp from Daddy and Inavva. "Why?"

"Anha zalat shafka. She is tired of waiting. Of looking when he is right in front of her." River looked at him through her hair, wondering if he might do those things his mind promised. Her heart raced when she caught them, fear and excitement and want competing for attention in her brain and her heart and her body. "Tired of living under watchful gazes from Simon because she cannot maintain her house."

Riddick set them down gently and began shutting down the engine. His mind was buzzing with dragonflies, flitting from leaf to branch as he tried to think on how to respond. He wouldn't say no, couldn't, but he did fear. For her and himself. Feared he would chase away the only woman he'd ever seen as an equal; he'd only known her in dreams two months before. He feared she would disappear one day, lost in her own world and he wouldn't be able to catch her, like the day he'd crawled into the air duct to protect her from book's hair. It was hidden so deeply beneath his mind that she mightn't have noticed at all if she hadn't caught him in a dream.

"Khalessi ayyey essalat mae Khal."

"Assuming the leeches don't eat us first," Riddick stood from the pilot's seat. He extended his hand and pulled her up. "Mal, goin' t get leech killer while you make contact."

"Good," Mal nodded. I'll let Kalabash know."

~!~

Jack let out a string of curses as she burned herself yet again. The hot water pipes had cracked down by the gravity generator and needed to be fixed before Kaylee got in and looked at the wiring. Wash was busy running diagnostics on their communications systems while he waited for the girls to finish so her could do a basic startup. Jayne was busy stacking the cargo bay so Jack could go and fix up the secondary life support down under the flooring.

"Perhaps we should trade places," Book suggested as he took the wrench from her. "I know a thing or two about repairing pipes."

"Uhm, could you actually hand me the plumbing tape?" Jack asked. "I'm almost done here."

The white rubbery tape was passed to her from outside of the nook and Jack went to work sealing the pipe until she could get the time to fix it proper. He handed her the wrench not long after and soon Jack was sliding out and breathing slightly cooler air.

"Did the swamp just decide to invade the ship?" Jack grumbled as she sat up and wipe her hands.

"Well, not to raise any alarms, but the ramp is a bit deeper into the bog than it was when we first landed." Book was staring at the door that would lead out to the bay. "I think we might be sinking."

"Sonofabitch," Jack grumbled as she pushed herself up. "This job has been more hassle than it's worth."

~!~

Mal nearly punched the wall of the tea house in sheer frustration. Their client wasn't on planet and he never would be again. Kalabash had been on on of the ships destroyed in the entry-crash and now his kids were arguing over who would take over the company. He couldn't meet with either of them until a will or a body was found and from the way those two acted, it seemed a lot more likely a body was going to show up.

"Mal," Inara whispered harshly.

He looked looked up and around, noticing that many of the patrons were staring at him. They'd met the twins in this teashop Inara picked out and while it wasn't his cup of tea, the three of them had at least made contact and the deal was still going to happen. Eventually. He couldn't imagine a coupla kids arguing over something so foolish when their pa was falling to earth in little bits of ash. If they'd wanted to cancel the deal to make funeral arrangements he wouldn't have argued, might have feigned annoyance, but he'd have been alright with it.

Instead they'd just added onto the chaos that had been piling up since they landed on this dung heap.

"Not dung."

"Ai Ya!"

Mal jumped as River appeared next to him. The tingling on the back of his neck signaled that Ricky was right behind him. Sure enough, the chuckles of the scary man echoed through the teahouse as he took a seat at the table. The two of them looked a bit too pleased with themselves, leastways River did.

"I assume you found some sort of repellant?" Inara asked. She poured tea for the both of them before a server appeared with another pot and a plate of tea cakes.

"Seven kinds, only one keeps all the flavors of blood sucker out," Riddick was smirking as he sipped at his teacup. "Guess where that is?"

~!~

Serenity was never going to touch down on Calaban again. Never. Not a single member of the crew had to voice that thought and with the gently tilting ship and leech attacks, none were going to argue it. The mosquitos were infiltrating the bay and the bunks and even the shuttles, smokey candles only working so well to keep them at bay. Zoe was staying far from the smoke to protect the baby and Simon was tired of harvesting the numerous leeches that crawled out of the muck. Repellant had been spread to keep the more dangerous ones at bay, the ones that burrowed into the flesh or laid eggs in a body, but there were no few that kept getting in.

"Twins better say somethin' real quicklike," Mal scowled at Kaylee shocked another leech. They were passing an electric fly swatting back and forth as they sat on a bench overlooking the swamp. "Ship's ready to fly?"

"Good enough to get the hell outta here." Kaylee was uncharacteristically grumpy as she watched the muck and it's denizens slowly eat her home and family. Mal understood all too well. "Engine's purring like a kitten and the sattelite's fixed."

"Grav engine?" Mal asked his eldest. She smacked a leech before answering him, scowling at the gooey, sizzling creature.

"You might want to strap in during take-off to be safe." Jack flicked the swatter several times before scrapping the leech crust off on the deck. "We have water condensing on the primary because of this damn swamp. Can't even touch it until we take off and it dries out."

Mal scowled at that. He'd been a bit spoiled since buying Serenity, he knew that. Yes, she'd been a bucket of bolts when he made his home with her, but she'd been good to him. Better since his mechanic and tech girl got in and started fine tuning bits and near to new after they'd done a job for Mr. U. Trust a rock in space to mess things up for he and his kin. The intense crackle of electricity drew his attention to the swatter. Twitching in the middle, still alive, was possibly the scariest leech he'd seen so far. Bright orange with soething that looked like wings sticking out from either side, it was at least as big as his hand and still reaching for Kaylee.

"Holy shit."

Mal didn't jump when Riddick's voice echoed behind him. Riddick would only kill him, this monstrosity had to be watched.

"This uh, one of the kinds they ran out of poison for?" Mal asked the man, never taking his eyes from the creature.

"Nah," He answered, moving closer to the close-to-dead creature. "Had a poster in the shop, showed you what they couldn't keep out."

Mal only nodded as it was scraped off of the swatter and slung back out into the swamp. The water practically boiled with smaller critters coming up to fed on the cooked monstrosity. Small critters brought bigger ones and soon he was standing with his gun out incase a python or two decided to see what the fuss was about. Course, blood in the water brought wooly gators and all manner of other unnerving things.

They were never ever ever coming back to Calaban.

Ever.

~!~

High above the planet a ship waited. The commanding officer was waiting for nightfall when the town would be sleeping and the guard would be lax. A recent entry crash had everyone on edge and weak, that usually resulted in unpredictability. Bombs and strangely adequate self defense that tended to send his troops to the Underverse ahead of schedule. There was no need for any of that. Not when they'd been sent for the sole purpose of destroying Richard B. Riddick.

Vaako's bride was waiting down there as well. He'd seen her amidst the decay her ship was resting in. Quiet and calm unless a parasite cam too close to her. She'd flee into the ship whenever that happened, away from life that fed upon others. Heat scans showed frequent trips into the infirmary and long retreats to her quarters, resting upon the bed as she recovered from her treatments. Vaako wondered how readily she'd accept conversion; she already knew life fed upon itself and ended too quickly. She'd ended some few herself according to recent information.

With a name like Patience he'd expected her to last longer.

Vaako continued staring out of the window in his quarters. Not a life taken that hadn't acted against her or threatened her family. All had deserved death, by breeder standards, and it was always quick and merciful.

_'Fore I could so much as blink an eye...three of my boys layin' dead on the ground.'_

She was right down there. Defending and waiting and suffering with a smile. He would lift her up from her suffering, and they would wait for the underverse together.

A knock sounded on his door before it slid open. The purifier was always seeking him out, always questioning him.

"Night falls in one hour," Purifier spoke. "Are you prepared for what will happen?"

"I am always prepared," Vaako snorted. He was. For the Riddick and the Bride both. For thir capture, for thir escape, for any outcome. His Lord Marshal had sent him on this quest, given him permission to come back with one and leave the other in a pool of his own blood.

"And your wife?"

"Dame Vaako will accept the change or she will die."

"The Necromonger way."

A Chosen Bride, a Taken Wife, and a Gifted Wife all had separate duties and highly unequal standing. The Bride was the only sort that couldn't be stolen by another, the one who stood equal to her husband and in the event of an untimely death, they would follow one another. Taken and Gifted Wives usually started out the same. A trophy from the battlefield, a soldier would find something pretty, or smart, or desperate and mark her as theirs before she went off to the conversion chambers. She could be given away when something prettier was found or taken when her husband fell. If none could be blamed for her husband's death, then the Purifiers picked a husband for her.

Dame Vaako was Gifted to him by Zhylaw. Her husband had fallen by the woman's own mechanisms, hoping to wind up as Lady Marshall number six and moving only so high as Commander's wife. Had she not known that the higher ranking would increase the chances she'd be caught? No matter, upon their return, he need only assure they didn't die at the Dame's machinations.

"May I ask a question, commander Vaako?"

"You would ask it with or without my permission."

"Do you remember the Dame's name?" The Purifier continued before he could answer. "The name she came to us with. Her breeding name."

"I never bothered to learn it. She was Comtesse Maccon before, and Lady Remora before that." Vaako looked to him. "I doubt even she remembers her name. Only her current title."

"And your Bride? You know her name?"

"Of course I do."

The entrance of a solider interrupted his answer. Night had fallen. There would be seven minutes until full dark.

~!~

River stood very very still in front of her Beast. The twin clients had come late, each with their own troop of thuggish slicers and splicers. The deal was hammered out between them and the captain and everything had gone quite peacfully until the very end. The sister had spoken cruel barbed words and the brother had pushed her into the swamp.

River's arm was caught by the sister as she fell and within moments, half of the crew was in the mucky mire and the twins were fighting one another. The Girl and Jayne and Sunshine had climbed back onto the ship as quickly as they could, Jayne helping the two women out before seeing to his own skin. The product wasn't even strapped down before Mal called to Wash, telling him to get the hell out of here. Three men set about to packing while a fourth started takeoff. Sister and Inavva ran to the kitchen to strap everything down while the Amazon Mother went to the bridge to strap herself in.

The leeches were ignored in favor of safety for all.

"_Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang! _Mal! We have a slight issue!" Wash's voice came out over the comm as everyone scrambled about. River paused before hitting the button that fill the cabinets with impact foam. The button was pressed and she was pulled towards a take-off seat by Inavva.

"Can we take-off?" Daddy's voice echoed back.

"_Sure, but we got a necro scout ship coming in hotter than a feh feh pi goh."_

Necromongers. Silent death bringers, Reaver's with clear thoughts. The swam above the River, picking pieces out before the girl could even see them. So swift in their actions that the screaming and the sound was silence.

"She could not hear them," River whispered as the ship began to lift. "The girl cannot hear death coming."

"Not your fault," Sister assured her. Her mind was orderly chaos. Moving as quickly as the numbers in the cortex as she took in what she'd learned and filed it away. "Just a big silence?"

The girl's mind caught the swiftly growing thought and sank into the River, looking for silence. Quiet suffering silence. Two minds stood strong inside of it. One filled with desperation and shame. As he should be. Surrendering to The Butcher that had scattered their people, pulling the Spirit of Fury from his veins and casting it into obscurity. He would die. By her hand or the Beast, no full blooded Furyan man should even consider cowering to the Butcher. The Butcher wanted the Beast dead, mounted, buried, burned, he didn't care in the least so long as Fury was truly dead.

The second mind made her pause. Honor, loyalty, desire, his mind was organized, everything in little boxes stacked just so with three taking the forefront. The Necromonger way was largest amongst them, combined steel and alloy and pain, strong lines and order. His wife was the second. A snake in captivity, warning labels everywhere and thick gloves resting atop. A machete lay waiting as the snake stared hungrily at the Necromonger box. He was taking care of the snake out of duty, ready to strike when his lord commanded it be done.

The third was not yet constructed, not even a box or a cage, but a bed. An idea that could be a home and a partner. It was made from bits and pieces of the box that had made him. At least, what pieces of him remained after the Butcher had stripped him down and locked his self behind steel doors. There were only images atop the bed, ghosts of something seen for the barest of moments. A woman, a Bride that belonged beside him.

The girl jumped from the River as the ship rolled to dodge. He was hunting Serenity for the bounty it held. Not merely for the death of a Khal, or the added bonus of hunting a Khalessi, but for the Bride behind them. He would lead her down the road to Awe. That couldn't happen. She wouldn't allow him to rend her family.

The girl was lifted up with the image of a door and the escape from orbit. All clear and safe for now. Alliance waves flying towards them and silence flying away. Her family had escaped and the cruiser passed them by, more concerned with a large threat than a tiny transport vehicle.

With Death behind them, River lifted a shaking hand to her seat-belt and let herself float up, pushing off to the bay where the Beast was still trying to get the cargo stored away. M_acrobdela decora_ was feeding too heavily on her, the spirits were starting to attack and with no direction the parasites could explode on her skin.

"The girl needs the beast," she called as she drifted into the cargo bay. "They are feeding and the spirits roar."

Her Beast, her Khal, pushed off from the floor to meet her, catching her by the arm and steering them up to the ceiling. They were draining her, but the warmth of her Beast touched her primal mind as he directed them to the kitchen. The stove was turned on and the girl could feel herself drifting from blood-loss as he slid her dress off. She gripped the stove and the Beast, a tether he worked to fix.

"Stay still."

The flat of a blade lay against her skin, sliding between the leech and her flesh. Burning blood filled her nose and the steel continued to remove the disease from the girl. Daddy's voice shouted as she started to fall into unconsciousness.

~!~

The Grav engine, as it turned out, was dead. Not completely dead, just mostly dead. It would kick itself on or off without warning, sending people into the air before dropping them onto steel and back up again. Mal didn't even wait for a complaint before he went and shut the thing off himself. Two weeks now they'd gone weightless, flying through space as they headed off to Rapture.

Kyra hovered above her man as he sharpened his knives in their bunk. The cortex was open in front of her and Mr. U was laughing at their bad luck over the chat feature. Sometimes she wondered at it too. At the moment she was worrying over River's strange silence when she sat with them at dinner. Soft Furyan whispers back and forth as they all sat at high squares of protein and firmly packed balls of rice. There were bruises on her skin from when she'd been eaten away at, just as Jack and Jayne wore, but she had more of them ad all through dinner she'd been pale and weak.

"You alright bao bei?"

"Five by five," Kyra nodded, peering down at him from around her screen. "Just thinking is all. Riv managed to gt quite a few suckers on her. Wondering why she didn't have them taken down to Simon I guess."

"Didn't he say somthin' about not having permission?" Jayne looked up from his knife. "Ain't a pureblood like his sis and Ricky boy, so he can't know bout their bits and pieces?"

"I guess." Kyra thought about it. That wouldn't account for the worry on River's face or the scowl on Riddick's. "She looked upset though. Like someone was trying to take something from her."

"Leeches were takin' her blood and gorram Necros were tryin' to take her man." Her man slide his knife into it's sheathe before pulling her down to him. "Hell, even I'd look all thoughtful and deep if someone tried takin' you or one of the girls."

"I'm incredibly glad you listed me before Vera," Kyra laughed, holding the rail of their bunk and wrapping around her merc.

"Well I did learn after the last time." He kissed her with a smile. Whiskers brushing against her lips as rough hands ran up her bare sides. "Sides, if it came down to it wouldn't even be a question. I love you Kyra Jack Serra. More than some hunk of metal."

Kyra leaned down and kissed him, hands twining into thick hair as she enjoyed time alone with her man. Their door was locked and both of them were freshly clean and smelling of soap over swamp. Warm lips touched her throat and silk slid off of her shoulders as she let herself fall into the sensations. This was love and affection, it was her man giving her what they'd been shying away from since Riddick came on board.

No more. She was a woman grown and she'd be lying if she didn't crave his touch.

"When are you going to make an honest woman out of me Jayne Cobb?"

He paused and looked up at her, smiling while his eyes twinkled.

"Depends on how soon you can get Mal over to Santa Maria," he answered, kissing her soundly on the lips. "Need Ma's ring to do it."

~!~!~

_'I want you, you want me_

_Into his tent_

_The queen always returns to her king._

_Inavva – Big Sister_

_Khalessi – Queen, wife of a Khal. On Furya the khalessi is responsible for the growth of the people. Education, healing arts, finance, often tactics as well._

_Khal – King, in charge of safety and war, but never willing to act without permission. Overseers of agriculture and construction. There have on occasion been revoults against the khalessi, but they never last more than a year or two._

Yes, Mal did somewhat quote a Taylor swift song, lol. Also, I figured it was time to re-include words and their meanings. The wedding won't take place for a while yet, pre Heart of Gold, so Four chapters away at Least. I might end up throwing more planets and mini missions in, I got a list of them. This story will go all the way into Serenity and the end of CoR. I've been going over a fw other things for after, but I haven't planned out a darn thing beyond the death of Zhylaw. The chapter's not very long, but my in betweeners rarely are.

R Coots, the Fairy Tail version isn't leaving me alone. So there's a possibility of a one-off revolving around a magic guild called Firefly. A mid-strong one. Thre's a higher chance Sailor Bleach is happening first.

Anyhow! Review, as I now have a plethora of free time in which to write and encouragement makes it happen faster.


	17. Out of GAs

The crew sat at the dinner table listening to Book's monastic humor stories. Jack wouldn't have thought there could be such a thing until she met Book. Then again, there were a lot of things she hadn't thought to have until she set foot on Serenity. She hadn't thought she might have a proper family; Mixed and accident prone for a certainty but equally as fierce and protective of what they knew to be theirs. Imam and his wife and Zisa had been good to her, but living with them she hadn't had Freedom. There were rules on Mal's ship and in Inara's shuttle, but there was the freedom to be who she was as well. To grow up into something shinier than she had been.

Jayne chuckled beside her and Jack found herself leaning against him. Whiskered lips touched against her hair before he went back to his tea. Men like Jayne didn't exist on New Mecca. There were toughs, roughs, mercs, and even farm boys, but none of them had that teddy bear quality inside. Jack snorted at the idea of getting on with a nice merc and learning the trade. She'd sooner sell her soul.

"Didn't he suspect anything?" Zoe asked though her chuckles. Her strange cravings had finally stated to kick in and hot sauce had covered everything on her plate that night. Their family was growing every day.

"Not at all!" Book shook his head. "He was just so proud of it!"

"What'd I miss?" Wash asked as he came into the mess.

Jack had no idea what he'd missed, she'd been too busy smiling at her own funny story. River smiled at her from across the table and Jack had to add her story to the wonderful oddity of their family. Sitting in between Riddick and Simon, she looked small and delicate, a perfect lady. But there was a scar on her shoulder from a leech that had gone too deep and just beside her collarbone was a bruise that had sent Simon and Mal into babbling, sputtering messes.

"Shepard Book was just tellin' us funny stories 'bout his days at the monastery." Kaylee kept glancing back at the counter where Simon's birthday cake was resting.

"Monastic humor," Wash nodded. "I miss out on all the fun. And all the food..."

"Just who do you think you're married to?" Zoe laughed, sliding a covered plate in front of him. A flick of the wrist and the napkin revealed a plate or protein chunks. "Voila!'

"I love my wife!" Wash leaned over and kissed Zoe before leaning down and facing her stomach. "Your mother is an amazing woman and I am very thankful that you weren't too hungry today."

The crew laughed at that. In the last few days Wash had gone without a meal or two thanks to his voracious child. He never went hungry, but there was a difference between having a hot meal and living off of trail rations.

"We set a course then?" Mal asked over his coffee. Doo was sitting next to him, head resting on the captain's thigh as his ears were scratched. There was a bit of drool soaking through Mal's pants as the dog eyed the table. Since Riv had taken up with Riddick, the dog had taken it upon himself to keep Mal company.

"We do." Wash swallowed the food in his mouth and picked up another chunk of protein. "Took a little creative navigating, but we should make it all the way to Greenleaf without running afoul of any Alliance patrols. Or a single living soul, for that matter."

"Always liked that about ghost lanes," Riddick rumbled. "Slow though."

"True enough," Wash nodded. "What should have been an 18 hour trip is gonna take us the better part of a week this way."

"We're in no rush," Mal shrugged it off. "Be nice to have an easy, languorous journey."  
>"Jeez, wonder what that would be like," Kaylee laughed.<br>She finally stood up, unable to let the cake she'd worked so hard on sit any longer. Jayne had offered to help, even offered to make it for her, but the mechanic wanted to make it herself, only asking for step by step instructions and a recipe. The way to a man's heart was through his stomach they said. Good thing it wasn't true, otherwise Jack and River would be out of luck. Once and only once had the two of them been assigned kitchen duty. Jack's was way back in the beginning, River's...well, when she spent half the time peeling labels from cans it sort of got her excused.  
>"She spent fifteen minutes," River corrected quietly as Simon started telling a story about a funny sick man.<br>"Still be outta luck meimei," Jack smiled. "Well, maybe not you..."  
>"She would be...hard pressed," River admitted. "Can make rice with little issue, and the grilling of foodstuffs is theoretically simple...the dream rarely meets the reality."<br>"Hey doc," Zoe's voice interrupted their quiet conversation.  
>Simon looked over his shoulder in concern only to have his jaw drop in shock at the cake shaped thing Kaylee was bringing over. It was covered in mismatched candles and the frosting was chocolatey looking. She'd tried pretty hard earlier to get the flavor to match the color.<br>"Care to make the first incision Doctor Tam?" Kaylee placed it in front of him, beaming with pride and nervousness. "Happy Birthday Simon."  
>"Well, this is..." Simon was looking back and forth between Kaylee and the cake. "How did you...River?"<br>"Day is a vestigal mode of time measurement based on solar day cycles. It's not applicable." She looked up at her brother with an only semi-apologetic face. "I didn't get you anything."  
>"There's a new warrant out on the boards," Jack smiled at him. "Had your birthdate attached. And, you're officially worth 700k for 'acts of terrorism against the Alliance'. Good job!"<br>"Really?" Simon asked. He was half worried and half impressed with himself. Worried because now he might never go back to his old life, impressed because he'd never thought he could cause so much of a hubbub.  
>"I do hope you like it," Kaylee pushed the cake a little bit closer to him. "Couldn't get a hold of no flour after I burnt the first one, so it's mostly protein. In fact, it's pretty much what we just had for dinner." Jack couldn't help the giggle that came up, nor could the rest of the crew hold their chuckles in. "But I tried to get the frosting as chocolatey tasting as possible, so..."<br>He babble was cut short as Simon looked up at her with a smile. They were both blushing just a little bit and Kyra was annoyed that she had to smack Jayne's hand when he reached to swipe a dollop of frosting.  
>"Thank you. Really," Simon's hand moved to rest on one of hers. "I'm very deeply moved. Thank you."<br>"Well deeply move yourself to blow out them candles so we can try a slice," Jayne grinned and leaned forward.  
>"Come on Doc, give it a good blow." Riddick was grinning as he teased the younger man, showing his teeth when Simon made a face at the insinuation.<br>Simon leaned forward and blew out the candles in one go, allowing the dim glow of the table lantern to fill the room and the brighter corridor lights to give a little bit as well. Riddick's eyes were glowing silver out across everyone but hardly a second after the candles went out, the rest of the ship did as well. A stuttering hum vibrated through the ship and the emergency lights were suddenly glowing deep red and orange along the steps and the walls. A soft whine came from Doo and River both as the darkness enveloped them.  
>"Didn't mean the ship Simon," Jack rose up from her seat and made her way over to a nearby control panel. "What the hell?"<br>"Ain't engine trouble," Kaylee shook her head. Her hand was still on Simon's shoulder. "Been over it at least twice every day since Saffron mucked things up."  
>"Same with the mainframe," Jack shook her head as she plugged her cortex into the ship. "Riv, you find anything funny in the ducts?"<br>"She found rabbits," River hummed. "Named them. All of them were George, so she threw them into the incinerator for confusing her."  
>And there she went. River'd had a string of about ten good days, so it made sense a twitchy one was coming onto them now. Tomorrow she'd be having a slightly worse one unless they managed to figure out what was harshing their mellow.<br>"Right," Mal stood up. "Lil' Kaylee, you head back down to the engine room, give us one more good sweep, take the engine apart iffin you have to. Wash, you get up there and figure out iffin' we're being pinged by anyone. Jackie, tell me as soon as you find something."  
>And just like that, Simon's birthday dinner was over.<br>"Cut the cake ya idjit," Jayne snorted from his place at the table. "Just cause we're going to different parts o' the ship don't mean we can't still have some of Kaylee's cake."  
>It wasn't a suggestion. It was a very pointed 'try her cake or i'll beat you' sort of thing that got the doctor moving very quickly and Kaylee pausing just long enough to see if he liked it. Simon didn't cut a slice so much as he took his fork and carved a chunk of it out. His bite wasn't too big, but when it hit his tongue -the whole crew watching- his eyes widened and he blinked in surprise. Another bite was plucked from the cake and he gave Kaylee and very impressed look.<br>"It's good. It's like the chocolates they have on New Belgium, kind of almond-y."  
>Kaylee's smile was bright enough the light up the increasingly dimming room before she darted down to the engine room. Jack went back to her dimming cortex screen with a scowl. The whole damn ship was losing power. Not at a massive rate, but Jack gave out the instruction to turn everything off that wasn't absolutely vital. Out the crew went. Off into bunks and cargo rooms, down to the infirmary and over to the guest rooms. Even the table lamp was turned off while handlights were turned on. A faint hum started through the ship as the auxiliary life support kicked on. Things were Not Good.<br>"Not afraid of the dark, are you?" Riddick's rumble sounded from nearby.  
>"You know damn well I am," Jack scoffed. "Hurry up and start...oh son of a...Dad!"<br>"You find it?" Mal came into the mess with his flashlight pointed to the ground.  
>"I found that we have Something to find." Jack tapped at her cortex a few more times. "Someone left us a going away present."<br>"Well?"  
>"<em>Well<em> it's some place on the ship. What do you want me to say?" Jack scowled and tapped away at her keyboard. "It's a sort of energy leeching thing, but I can't figure if it's from Patience, the Kalabash Kids, or the Necros that we dodged. Hell, I can't even figure out where it is."  
>"Well can you figure out what it might conceivably look like? Maybe the size of it?"<br>"Signal like this?" Jack flcikered with her cortex. "Maybe the size of a shoebox? It'll be kind of obvious I think. Something out of the way, but in plain sight. Easy for a person to plant without being seen. Doubt it'll look like it actually belongs."  
>"Got any vid logs from the airlock?" Mal asked. Doo was sitting beside him, trying to look as official as the captain.<br>"I can pull some up from the last few stops," Jack nodded. "If it's the the first two we got a chance that it's in the cargo or a shuttle, the necros might have it anchored on the hull, although...go look and I'll see if maybe it's something else."  
>"Then do it. Ricky, need you and Riv to go investigate the shuttles for flashy shoeboxes. I'll head down to the bay with Book."<p>Vaako smiled as he looked at his screen. His bride was stranded now. She and the beast he hunted for the Lord Marshal were three days away, one and a half if he could make the crew go at a hard burn, but that would cause more problems in the end. They'd suffered damage during their assault on Callaban and to push the ship may strand them as well. He had waited for years, he could wait a few more days. It would give him time to make sure his quarters were fit and anything that could be used as a weapon was out of reach. Women were resourceful creatures, he knew this for a fact. A single line from a single Earth-that-was poem floated to the surface of his mind.<br>The female of the species is more dangerous than the male.  
>"Thinking on your bride again?"<br>Vaako looked over to the Purifier.  
>"I often wondered what my life would have been like had I been taken as a mate," the purifier continued. "It was the way before I found The Way. There's a faint memory of being passed over by a woman I'd fallen for. She said I was weak willed."<br>"The weak of will do not survive conversion," Vaako snorted. He looked at the man beside him. Nearly three months and he'd never bothered to learn his name. "Do purifiers have names? Or are they washed away?"  
>"I am Verak. It is by the grace of Zhylaw I keep that name. And by his grace does hers remain in my mind. To remind me of the weakness I had before."<p>

"Shierak Dan," River corrected for the nth time. "Grandmother altered her name to more appropriately blend with the peoples of the anglo-sino territory."  
>"Until we get into non-anglo-sino territory I'm calling her Shirah," Riddick snorted as he shifted a crate in the second shuttle. "Still haven't found our shoebox either."<br>"Sister grasps at straws to give us hope." River bent near to double to inspect the cubby holes. The beast was bent behind her, peeking through the petals to see the fairy. Not christmas, not yet. "The khalessi grows weary of straws and grasping. Gasping through tiny holes for tiny breaths while the silence comes ever closer."  
>She felt warm hands on her hips and took a deep breath.<br>"Not Christmas," River whispered as he began to pull her upright. The beast was hard and warm behind her. Corded muscle wrapped around her form and clung to ribs and hips. The beast blocked the world. The spirits inside of him sang until her own made sense and the crew was nothing but a ripple on the surface.  
>"No," he purred against her neck. "Nothin' wrong with giving thanks though."<br>"Not our den," River hummed as he pulled her tighter. "Not our moon."  
>He paused and leaned closer, sniffing along her body until he let out a growling breath.<br>"The girl is unreliable." River tried to pull away. He was still holding her tight against his body. The scent of want was still there and he wasn't moving away. "Not the winter, doesn't take it straight."  
>"Won't be," he guided her back against the crates.<p>

"Found it!"  
>Jack's shout echoed through the ship. It had only taken three hours and Mal had started assigning shuttles for his crew to escape on. The temperature had dropped to a not so healthy 42º and Book hadn't stopped praying. Jayne hadn't stopped prepping for escape and Riddick was almost too focused on doing the same. Jack's single shout had made everyone stop in their tracks before letting out releaved sighs or even a thankful whoop. It didn't really matter that oxygen was low if she'd found the thing that was killing them.<br>"Where is it Jackie?" Mal came over to the couch outside the infirmary.  
>"I can't believe I didn't see it sooner to be honest. So I was thinking, what if I took a look over everything, made a map of our power loss and combined-"<br>"Jack, where is it?"  
>"Three guesses." Jack smiled at him before pointing to the space suits that had been piled up. "The whole reason Wash can't manage to boost a signal anywhere, much less send one, is because we got a Sapper linked up to it."<br>"Only thing always running," Mal grumbled. "You sure bout this jackie? We only got just enough power left to open the airlock once."  
>"Sure enough to throw a suit on myself and disconnect the thing." Jack watched Mal's face flicker with pride and relief before his captain face went back on.<br>"Alright then. You and Kaylee get suited up, know more about wires and whatnot than anyone else on board. Wash, help them set up a plan or I'm sending River to the bridge to help 'em." Mal was looking hard at the pilot and the fire haired man was looking back with something akin to hatred. Jack looked back and forth between them. No, this wasn't something she wanted to be involved in, not when Kaylee was starting to suit up. "Ricky, need you and Jayne to grab some power cells from the shuttles and help Simon jerry-rig 'em to the infirmary so it ain't depending on Serenity to keep us alive."  
>"Can manage that myself," Riddick stood from the couch where River had been leaning against him. Doo had been cuddling up with them as well, shivering in his thickest doggy sweater and a blanket, but he was quick to take Riddick's warm spot beside River. "Might want Jayne to grab up some vittles from the kitchen."<br>"Maybe so." Mal hooked his thumbs into his suspenders. "Right then, all got jobs, lets get to em. Book, wouldn't be against a few kindly words to the big man, so long as it's quiet of course."  
>"Of course," Book smiled beneath his blanket. "If Inara wouldn't mind helping me to light some incense, I think we can reach at least some sort of higher power between us."<p>

Vaako kept a very straight face as he went to his personal chambers. His face remained stone until the doors slid shut behind him and he was certain that no soldiers remained too close. His hatred of the breeders was growing ever stronger. So desperate to live that they fought tooth and nail in the most adverse of situations. A part of him admired that, envied it almost, but another part, a much larger and angrier part, hated them for it. They'd found the device responsible for draining their power and fluttered away.  
>Only when his room was in shambles and his weapon discharged no less than seven times did he calm himself.<br>He didn't care about the Furyan any more. Not the Furyan or the Armada or even the underverse. No. His mortal fire was starting to spark in his heart for the insults given to him by Malcolm Reynolds and his crew. The next assault on Serenity would be more subtle and he would needle away at the captain in such a way that no one would suspect.

"That's what was takin' up all our energy?" Jayne asked. He lifted up a single wooden chopstick to poke at it.  
>"Lightning Bug," Jack nodded. "Keep it away from the metal else we'll be in worse trouble than we were before."<br>The Lightning Bug was something they'd picked up on Calaban, sure enough. A kind of a swamp creature that laid it's eggs on ships and burned up when they left atmo. The downside of it was that the thing didn't need oxygen to live. Didn't need much of anything except a steady diet of ions and solar energy.  
>"We'll have to kill it now," Mal grunted. "Got a taste for ships, won't leave a single one to just pass by if it can."<br>"The incinerator's up and running, got ceramic walls in it too." Kaylee was poking at the bug too, but with less gusto than Jayne and Riddick were.  
>"Right then. Let's throw it in to meet what's left of the Georges." Mal stood upright. "Let's send something out to warn others bout the Kalabash Kids too."<br>"I really don't like that planet."  
>Not a single person could disagree with Inara's statement. Not even Book.<p>

~!~  
>I know, it's too short. But I kind of explained how everyone met each other in the earlier chapters, so It took out most of what happened in this episode. Next chapter is Ariel, got plans for that one, involving a personal encounter with Vaako, Toombs tailing everyone's favorite mental-case couple, and Mal trying to figure out why things don't never go smooth. One of life's great mysteries, isn't it? Happy Holidays everyone! My resolution? Try to tone up a bit and finish draping my bustle.<p>

Verak- Traveller Shierak Dan – star gem


	18. Ariel

Kyra sat staring at her cortex, begging the universe to bring something to the crew. Mr. U was tapped so far as jobs went and Badger had nothing for them so close tot he core. Not even Monty knew of anyone that needed something done. She'd even gone so far as to tap into the Mercenary Guild to see if they needed anything done. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"God this stinks," Jack grumbled to herself. She took a sniff of the air as she looked away from her computer and out across the kitchen. "Oh my god, what is that stink?"

"Simon's cooking something," Inara tried to answer. She was holding her teacup to her nose to try and block the scent out, but her face showed that it wasn't working particularly well.

"He's trying to poison us," River stared suspiciously at the bowl Simon was holding in his hand. What a brave soul, standing so close to the poison encrusted pan. "He's gone maniacal."

"River I have not gone...you need to eat something." Simon tried to give her the bowl only to have River back away. "It's good, it tastes like..." Everyone watched him take a bite to see if he'd gag on the mushy brown paste. He couldn't even make himself swallow whatever it was he was trying to poison River with. "It's good."

"It smells like crotch," Jayne snorted. He and Riddick were at the table cleaning their guns and sharpening their knives.

"Burnt ass," Riddick rumbled out. "With a side of three day old curry."

"Gumbo what's been left out for two days in the sun." Jayne grinned. "On Caliban."

Wash and Zoe came into the room as Riddick came up with something even more descriptive and offensive smelling. They were obviously arguing and Jack was happy to stop hearing about burnt pubes and soured milk; River had taken the entrance of Wash and Zoe to flee her brother and his bowl of stink-mush. Good, no one who was unstable needed to suffer that. As Wash and Zoe's argument got louder, Doo came ambling in to the kitchen to sit by River's feet.

"Zoe, we don't even have to go some place fancy," Wash tried once more. Doo's entrance stopped Jayne and Riddick just enough for Wash's argument to become clear. "We can just go to a park or something, feed the pigeons even."

"Sure," Zoe snorted. She leaned over to set her gun down on the table followed by her boot knife. "Feed the pigeons. Probably get the firing squad for littering." She was about to take a seat when she smelled whatever it was Simon was trying to choke down. Wash misinterpreted her face for disgust at the idea of walking about.

"Come on, it's not that bad." He set an arm on Simon's shoulder and his face turned at the smell. Jack almost laughed as understanding hit his face. "Oh, yes it is."

"It is," Zoe agreed. "It's a Core planet, it's spotless cause it's got sensors, and where it ain't got sensors, it's got feds." She grabbed up one of the cleaning clothes from the table. "All central planets are the same and if You-" she waved her knife at Simon "-don't get that stink out of this kitchen now I'm going to make sure I puke on you."

Simon hopped up with a rather grateful look on his face and dumped the mush into the trash. He grabbed up the pan and threw it, and the bowl, into the sink before hurrying to the incinerator with the trash bag. It made the girls on the couch giggle and Jayne let loose the description he'd been holding in for a while now. It was almost enough to make everyone gag; Riddick only let out a chuckle so deep and long he had to set his knife down so he wouldn't drop it.

"Jayne, my gun is still loaded." Zoe was smiling even as she threatened him.

"Inara, please, as the only other sane, non-poisonous, not a criminal, Core person on this boat, could you please tell my wife what she's missing out on?"

"Ariel's actually a rather nice place." Inara was laughing silently at Wash's description of her, completely unaware that he'd only gotten two of his descriptions right. "There are some beautiful museums, not to mention some of the finest restaurants in the core."

"But, not boring like she made it sound," Wash sent Inara a look. "There's uhm, ah...Simon!"

The doctor froze like a deer when Wash turned the attention onto him.

"As her doctor I can't recommend anything that would upset her or the baby," Simon hurried out. Zoe grinned at that and went back to cleaning her knife. "I would recommend avoiding solvents, but Zoe is a very smart woman and she's been craving the smell of gun oil and her gun is still loaded."

"What?" Wash looked back and forth between Zoe and Simon before settling down across from his wife and starting a new argument.

"How'd you know it was still loaded?" Kaylee asked when Simon sat next to her with a bag of trail mix.

"The charge cartridge is still in it," Simon pointed at the little glowing lights on Zoe's gun. "Shotguns and surgery are the two things I'm good at. And the only things I'm going to bother with from now on."

Seemed like a plan and a half to Jack. River seemed to agree with it and as Riddick stood up and moved to the stove, she could see Simon's face become just a bit more resigned. He was losing his sister before he even got her back. Never mind that it was the biggest load of nonsense Jack had ever heard, that's how he saw it. Mal came into the kitchen and Jack nearly laughed at the confusion on his face as he tried to sort of the ruckus. Wash and Zoe were going back and forth between the gun oil and a bioluminescent lake while River and Riddick were talking in their strange Furyan language and Inara was explaining the finer points of sex with Kaylee.

"Ain't no one setting foot on any fancy rock!" he shouted, breaking through everyone's conversations. "I don't want anyone leaving the ship, don't' even want y'all lookin' out the windows or talking too loud. We're here to drop off Inara and Jack, that's it."

"What's the point of coming to the core if I can't even step off the boat?" Jayne argued.

"You could have got off with the Shepherd at Bathgate Abbey," Mal brushed him off. "Could have been meditating on the wonders of your rock garden by now."

"My rock garden is plenty wondrous," Jayne scowled. "I'd made plans to meet with someone so's I could get to Ma's place when we next went out that way."

"Why would you need to meet someone on the core to get to a rim planet?" Wash asked. Everyone was waiting for the answer.

"Cause Woodhouse is the only one's got the visitor codes 'sides Ma and the one she sent is two months outta date." Jayne made a fully gag-worthy noise before he spit on his knife. "Damn bankers only on Ariel for the next week."

There was silence for a moment before Jack realized just What was going on with Jayne and his family. Holy Cows of New New Delhi. She knocked her tea-cup on the floor before anyone asked what he meant and the crash of stoneware distracted everyone long enough for Kaylee to bring up a new subject. She'd picked it up too, most of the crew probably had if she thought on it. Key-codes were only needed for a few reasons, one of which was to get in and out of asylums like Ether. The only Rim asylum was also filled to the brim with wealthy folks who were an embarrassment to the family or wanted away from Core values.

"Kyra and I shouldn't be more than a day or two," Inara was answering Kaylee's question. Kyra had been trying to forget that she had to go too.

"Big stop just to renew your license to companion," Wash hummed. "Can I use Companion as a verb?"

"It's guild law," Inara laughed again. "Technically I'm undergoing the examination as a traveling priestess, but all guild members are required to undergo a physical examination once a year."

There were three people in the room who knew exactly why Inara's examination was going to take so long and it had nothing to do with an annual. Riddick might be suspecting something though; Inara's shakes were getting just a bit more noticeable. He wasn't noticing anything outside of River right now though.

"So, two days in a hospital?" Wash asked. "That's awful, don't you hate doctors?"

"Hey," Simon grumbled.

"Present company excluded, I hate hospitals and everything in them," Kyra answered.

Something happened over by the stove and River was very suddenly under a bleeding man. There was a bruise blossoming on her chest as she tried to get air back into her lungs and her fingers were clenched around the same bloody knife Riddick was trying to take away from her. His shirt was ruined, as was River's dress, but the damage to his flesh was a bit more worrying. Most everyone had jumped up and Doo was growling at the couple on the floor.

"River! No!" Simon tried to come closer.

"Fuck off, Doc!" Riddick growled at him. River was finally breathing again but she didn't seem to know what was going on.

"That's a lot of blood," Zoe spoke up.

"The Silence..." River whispered out. "The Silence is here."

~!~

"Gorram freak's completely off her axel," Jayne grunted as he stood in the infirmary door.

"Shut up Cobb," Riddick growled before hissing in pain. He was laying on one of the beds while Simon stitched his chest back together. Any deeper and there would have been more spilling out than just blood. As it stood a faint bluish tint could be seen in Richard's skin.

"Sorry," Simon apologized. "I don't know what-"

"Shut up Simon," he grunted as the needle slid into his skin again. "Necros are gonna be on Ariel. Riv's been calling them The Silence ever since our first run-in."

"So she slices ya up?" Jayne asked. "Just as easy as you please and you're going to go right back to her, leavin' your neck all exposed for her crazy to get friendly with it. I know you got plenty of knives in there ricky, what's to say you ain't gonna wake up chokin' to death?"

"She'll be fine, got confused is all." Richard relaxed as Simon spread a anesthetic bandage over the cut. It would blend right in before the night was over. "Didn't get trained up so she doesn't know how to control her wild side."

"You reckon you can fix whatever it is up?" Mal asked. He didn't like being left in the dark any more than Riddick did, but he wasn't about to share something like this with just anyone.

"Can't do much without knowing what was done to her," Riddick sat up. The doc was smart to stick to healing and shooting folks. "I'll take care of it as much as I can. Might want to start locking things up a bit better til then."

Mal looked at Riddick for a moment before coming closer to him.

"Only met a few men in my life that would go back to a woman that dangerous. One is my pilot." He crossed his arms at the Furyan but his mind was someplace else. "You say you got a some kind of thing that can help, fine. She's getting worse though. She gets too bad, we might have to find some place to set the two of you down."

"Know a couple places," Riddick stretched his shoulders. "Doesn't change the fact that we got Necros waiting for us on Ariel. They know how to be stealthy when it counts."

Mal pursed his lips and looked at Jayne in the doorway. They were facing quite the conundrum here. Inara had been more than just a little forceful about stopping for her annual checkup. Serious enough that she'd been holding her gun when she called him in to tell him about her appointment. He'd have given in anyhow. It was hard to miss the way her skin had gotten just a bit paler, or the way she'd started walking along anything that would support her if she got tired or dizzy too suddenly. It wasn't something Simon could heal or it'd have been taken care of already.

Mal looked up to ask Simon about the illness only to see that everyone had left. He'd have to wait and see then.

~!~

Kyra never did like dressing up to be Inara's secretary, but it was a chance to get off of the ship for at least a breath of fresh air. She reached up to adjust her headdress and the veil attached to it one last time. Their bags were packed and Inara had been ready for the last few minutes. She was keeping Kaylee occupied until Mal gave them the go ahead to disembark. Any minute now he'd be complaining about the rickshaw waiting for them on the docks.

"Least you can look at the bright side," Kaylee smiled at Inara. "Maybe you'll meet a young, handsome doctor, and he'll ask you out and...what's the companion policy on dating?"

"It's very complicated," Inara laughed.

"All sorts of tasks and feats and IQ tests," Kyra added on. "Once, the house priestess made a man wrestle a Wooly Gator."

"Well that figures," Kaylee nodded. It was always kind of fun to make things up like that.

"Just keep everyone out of trouble," Inara kissed Kaylee's hair. "Including yourself."

The three of them walked from the shuttle down into the cargo bay, exchanging another farewell before stepping out onto the streets of Ariel and climbing into the waiting rickshaw. It wasn't like the ones back on New Mecca, these ones hovered and had an android to steer the conveyance about. Honestly, Kyra had never been to Ariel, or any of the Anglo-Sino core planets besides Persephone. She had no idea how to act here. Islamic sector meant keeping your head bowed and asking Imam's permission to say or ask anything of anyone. From her occasional visit to Persephone she could see that things were going to be awfully different.

"Don't worry," Inara leaned over. "Just act like my word is the only law you'll ever have to follow and everyone else is an idiot."

"I can do that," She nodded. "Inara, what if you're getting worse?"

"I know I'm getting worse, I'm just wondering if there isn't some way to make it less obvious or to slow it down."

Phantoplasma Syphilitics had been tearing her sister apart since they were still living on Laputa with their parents. It was a blood disease that got into the bones and the only way to keep it from overtaking you was to have a marrow transplant once a year and weekly injections of medication. Without those, the infected was prone to wild hallucinations and terrible fevers at best, at worst they'd find themselves facing a plethora of boils and burning rashes. The very worst of STD's in the known verse didn't kill you slowly. It didn't kill you at all.

Kyra didn't like to wonder how her sister got sick. There were only a few explanations and all of them made her ill to think about. Instead, she focused on any possible way to save her sister. She'd researched everything from Ganta Root to the slime those glowy jellyfish monsters excreted. She'd even looked into some of those leeches from Caliban. Nothing held any promise.

"Relax," Inara smiled at her. "I doubt the alliance would let a Necro ship get too close to any core planet."

"I'm just worried, especially after what happened in the Helios Sector."

"Parliament would never let that happen Kyra," Inara leaned over and hugged her. "Never. We are the shining light of civilization, and Death himself couldn't stop that light from shining."

"Yes, you're right," Kyra nodded. The android had stopped at a light and his head had been turned to watch them ever since. "Fear cuts deeper than swords, and I am afraid."

The android seemed satisfied and it's head turned back to watch traffic. It was still listening though. Zoe was right about sensors and feds everywhere. Even when they stopped in front of the Companions hospital and an attendant rushed over to pay the cabbie. Footmen hurried over to take their bags up to Inara's chambers and a priestess bowed low when Inara entered. The Serra sisters bowed in return and when they were ushered in, Kyra realized something. There were no sensors inside of the guild building.

~!~

Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. River understood the implication behind the statement, but she didn't understand horseshoes. Her beast didn't understand the game either; it was a game for old men he'd decided. He was not an old man. Not by his standards at least.

"Ha!" Jayne had done something to give him a point. Did throwing things make him forget that Big Sister was gone? Her beast pulled her closer when Jayne yelled. He wasn't nervous like the others, he was determined and when he pulled her closer it wasn't to keep her from jumping, but because he was remembering what they'd done in the second shuttle.

"How're we going to find a job if we don't leave the ship?" Jayne's voice floated up through the cargo bay. River didn't care to find out how, not when Richard was blue and making her insides glow. Their songs had harmonized when the lightning thief had threatened their lives. Harmonized and given her head a solid idea to hang onto.

"Her sound is soured, shattered into the breeze and The Silence destroys it all."

"I know," he pressed his lips against her neck. "That's why we're going to try and find your Gran, see if she can't help us."

"She would bind us. One and one make one."

The Beast grunted and pulled her down to lay on his chest, thinking on what she'd said and rebelling even as he embraced the thought. It scared her as well. Her brain was hardly her own, to give him pieces would be insulting, to give him nothing would be worse. He was in pieces too. His mind fracturing every time they sent him into cryo. If he went again he would shatter.

"Matching set," her Beast rumbled. "You were speaking your mind again. Won't go into cryo again if I can help it Khalessi. If I did, I'd never hurt you."

"Take her to Mandos, far from any who live."

Simon's voice broke through their blue. His thoughts burned away the cloud and River could smell blood as the Khal growled behind her. His blood was spreading under her fingernails with every thought echoing from Simon's head and out of his mouth. He wanted to see the cracks.

"You've got a job for us?" Mal asked. He would never run short of surprises or adventure with this crew, he was pretty sure of that by now. Simon wasn't the mousey man he usually was or the terrible cook from this morning. He wasn't even the Doctor who lived across from the infirmary. He was a core bred businessman who wanted something done.

"One that will pay for itself ten times over."

Mal walked closer to Simon, as did the remainder of his crew, but the man didn't so much as blink or flinch. Not even when Jayne growled just behind Simon's ear. Instead he held up a vial of clear liquid. A vial Mal had seen a hundred times since Simon had gone in and made the infirmary His.

"You know what this is? Common immune booster, they give it to school children for free in the core. Isoprovaline, for a dose this size? Fifty platinum at lowest street value." He looked at it again. "Maybe twenty credits."

Zoe took the vial in hand and held it by her stomach, looking back and forth between each. Simon held up another vial.

"Propoxine, maybe eighty on Persephone." For every vial Simon held up, a crew member took it and he brought out another. Each had a higher value than the last and each had come on board with Simon in his med kit or he'd scrounged up as they travelled, paying for it with what he earned from his house calls on smaller planets.

"At a Hospital like the one on Ariel City they'll have shelves of the stuff. Whatever the take is more than enough payment for what I have in mind."

"So, the medvault isn't the job?" Wash asked.

"No. That's the payment. I'll tell you how to get in, get out, and what needs taking." He looked directly at Mal. "If you help me get River into the hospital's diagnostic ward."

"What's in the diagnostic ward?" Wash just kept asking those important questions and keeping Mal from looking like a fool.

"A 3D physical imager," Simon was still looking at Mal." If I can get River in there, then I can find out what they did to her at the academy. I can get a non-invasive look at her brain and her body and figure out exactly how to make things right."

Mal crossed his arms and looked at the floor. The money was promising but the idea of making one of his girls healthy was a bit more tempting. She'd cut into Ricky today, but Jayne had raised a good point as they walked off. What if the Necros came when she was with Kaylee, or Inara? What if she took the ship and Wash was found in a pool of his own blood? He wanted River well and Riddick knew a place to take her if she was too far gone. A place that had a way on but no way off. Last resort kind of thing that promised they'd both be safe.

"So we get you and your sister in there and you tell us how to clean out the hospital?" Mal asked.

"Yes." No doubt in the boy's mind at all.

"Not to be negative," Kaylee started. "But, don't the hospital need that medicine?"

"Government run facility," Riddick's rumble came out from up on the catwalk. "They'd be restocked in a matter of hours and they've always got some stacked up in the pharmacy."

"He's right," Simon nodded. "They'll never miss it. Most of the hospital won't even realize it's missing."

"Folks on the Rim sure could use it," Mal agreed. He'd finally gotten one of the vials to look at and it was hard to think such a little thing was worth so much. Something that was hardly a drop in a bucket for folks in the Core.

"You know," Wash started. "It's all very sweet, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, but you're talking about breaking into a highly secure Alliance facility. How do you plan on getting around security?"

"He's going to kill himself." Riddick was laughing up on the catwalk and Simon was surprisingly calm about his statement. In fact, he looked impressed that Ricky had figured it out. "Sneak in via black box after dosing up. Suspend brain activity, slow the heart down to a beat an hour, and slide in with the treasure chests we're walking out with."

"You sound like you done this before," Mal looked up at the goggled man. River was hiding behind him.

"Used to do it back in Rangers," He shook his head. "Sarge would dose us up and send us off to enemy territory. Wake up in the storage room at 0'300 and carry out the mission."

"Ranger?" Mal asked. "Black ops type of thing, right?" Riddick only grinned at him. "Right. So how were you planning to have us get you in?" He didn't want to think about how many times Ricky might have been his enemy or how close he'd come to dying by the kid's hand.

"Well, what Richard knows about sneaking in, I know about medical procedure."

~!~

Kyra sat quietly as a new doctor was brought into the room, blindfolded and led by a rather young girl. She was a trainee for Madera, though for physical trade or assistance she didn't know. They all walked around with soft veils over their hair and silver pins holding them there. Their slippers were soft and if they shuffled at all, the teachers would know by the marks on the bottom.

Inara had disrobed and now sat on the examination table in her undergarments with a blue veil covering her face and hair. Kyra could see the scar patterns on her sister's skin. Without the incense to dull her senses or the soft lighting of the shuttle the scars glimmered and shone. It was almost pretty.

The doctor had his blindfold removed and he moved closer to the examination table. A different trainee came over with a tray of diagnostic tools the doctor probably hadn't seen before; too new for civilian hospitals. Kyra was there to make sure he didn't try to bully the trainees into keeping silence if he did something terrible. In the past it had been someone else, one of Inara's house sisters, but since she'd taken on an assistant it fell to Kyra.

The examination was the same as it had been for the last few years. It was the same look on his face when he saw what she had. Kyra wondered what had happened to the previous doctor to give them this guy. Maybe he'd retired, or died from old age, maybe he'd just moved to another temple.

The one in front of them knew what to do though. Even if he did have a mullet and acted kind of like a soldier. Probably a field doctor who'd never left the battlefield.

"You are allowed to speak to me you know," Inara laughed. She was always laughing. Always trying to hide her pain.

"Forgive me, I wasn't sure you'd wish to speak on anything."

"It helps the time pass," Inara assured him. "You're new to the guild roster, aren't you?"

"I am," he nodded, looking up from the screen. "I only arrived on Ariel a few days ago."

"It's always nice to see a new face. Especially a handsome one." She smiled a mischievous smile. "A shame there aren't any nearby."

The doctor's eyes widened before he smiled in return. He realized she was teasing him and soon, Kyra felt like she was almost intruding on something private. Something softer than what went between Inara and Mal. She wondered what might happen if she were to walk out and take the trainees with her. For one she'd be fired, but on a more emotional, personal level, she wondered if Inara would find something with Dr. Vaako she hadn't found with Mal.

"Kyra," Inara called to her.

She couldn't leave during this part. Kyra pulled her seat closer to the exam table and took Inara's hand into her own. She was laying down now, waiting for the doctor to insert the syringes so he could replace her marrow.

"I'm right here," Kyra reached over to Inara and touched her hair through her veil.

"Would you like the topical?" Dr. Vaako asked.

"No," Inara shook her head. "I can't stand it."

If Kyra had been watching the doctor, she'd have seen something like relief enter his eyes. And when he slid the needle into Inara's skin, she'd have seen a sort of satisfaction when Inara kept her silence.

~!~

"The Silence is waiting for us," River shook her head. "Waiting and watching."

"That's why I'm going with Riv," Riddick kissed her hair. "Inara showed me how to paint up to change my face shape. Blue bases make different faces. Even Simon's going with."

River rubbed her head against his chest and stuck out her arm. Riddick took it into hand and spoke soft Furyan whispers as Simon injected her with the sleeping serum. Her form crumpled quickly, smaller than Simon's and just a bit more sensitive to drugs than either man was. Riddick picked her up and carried her to the waiting coffin. He'd painted himself up before going into her room and Jayne was making sure he wasn't too different looking with his own paint. Zoe had been the one to apply it; Inara was gone and Kaylee wasn't much good at anything that wasn't mechanical.

"It's probably a good thing you're the one Grandmother picked." Simon climbed into his own coffin as Riddick made sure River's hair and clothes weren't caught. When he was sure, he slid the lid shut and clamped it tight.

"Limited options," Riddick answered. "Then again, I was supposed to be a general by now."

Simon flinched when Jayne stabbed him in the arm. He was enjoying this far too much. The whole crew was enjoying this a bit more than they needed to. Then again, they tended to do everything a bit more than other people did. Maybe that's why he liked the crew so much. These were his thoughts as he fell into a temporary death.

~!~

Riddick wheeled River's coffin in right in tandem with Jayne. Didn't need to do more than keep his mouth shut and give the basics, if he didn't know what to say just look tired and bitch about your boss. Thats all a night shift nurse wanted to hear and half the time they didn't even care. Jayne seemed awfully happy to hear that. Mal though, he seemed put out that he wasn't going to get to deliver his carefully practiced speech.

"What do you got?" The nurse asked. She looked tired of people altogether.

"Got a couple of DOA's," Mal started. He was about to open his mouth again but the nurse really didn't care. Dead was Dead and she labeled each coffin as such before going back to her magazine.

"Met enough nurses during training," Riddick shared as he and Jayne pushed forward with their load. Quiet enough that the woman wouldn't hear but Mal and Jayne both would. "If there's no doctor around, they don't care unless a person's screaming and making a mess of things."

"You'll have to tell me how you went from Ranger to Medic one day," Mal said as he pressed the elevator button.

"Maybe," Riddick shrugged. "Gonna take a lot of alcohol."

The trip down to the morgue was quick; a big button at the bottom of the elevator menu told them exactly where to go. Simon and River had both been given a dose of something to wake them up but they didn't seem to be responding to it very quickly. No matter, Mal and Jayne had gone as soon as they were on the cold steel beds, excited to rob the medvault right under Alliance noses. Kind of thinking was going to get Mal killed. It would make a pretty decent haul though. Simon had given them a list, sure, but Mal was going to fill the rest of the coffins with whatever he could fit inside. That left Riddick with little to do except wait for River to wake up. It had been some time since he was alone in a room with a bunch of bodies around him. First time it hadn't been him to take them out.

"Copper for a kiss?"

Riddick smiled at her greeting. River was smiling at him, happy to be alive again and happy to see him just above her.

"I'm not that cheap," He grinned. He leaned down and kissed her none the less.

"He is easy," River smiled against his lips.

~!~

"I'm so glad you never met our father," Inara managed. The pain was making her sweat and several times the attendants had come and gone with fresh cloths and cool water. "So very glad."

"Inara, you shouldn't talk." Kyra tried to calm her sister and keep the secret buried.

"You need to know who to run from, in case he tries to find us." Inara let out a breath as Dr. Vaako pulled out one of the needles. He was going to give them a break rather than carrying on like the old doctor had done. Further proof that Inara's condition was getting worse.

"I don't..." She tried to shake it away but her sister's grip on her hand was surprisingly strong.

"He did this to me for fun," Inara spoke harshly. "You have to know who to run from."

Dr. Vaako seemed just as troubled as Kyra was. He came over with a pain killer, contrary to Inara's earlier wishes, and injected it into her flesh. Her sister didn't seem to mind overly much, in fact she smiled at the doctor gratefully.

"He's not on Xibalba anymore," Inara told her seriously. "He hasn't been for a few years. He's not dead either, or there'd be some kind of record."

"He's tried to contact you, hasn't he?" Kyra asked. Inara nodded and her body began to go lax. "That's why we're with Mal."

"One of many reasons," Inara hummed as the pain killers began to kick in. "You were the important reason. Seeing the verse was another. Finding love another still."

"Two out of three isn't bad," Kyra smiled at her.

"Two out of five," Inara argued. She tried to wag a finger at her but it only tapped against the bed. "I'm going to rest now. Thank you doctor."

"Please, call me James."

~!~

Riddick was glad that Simon's awakening surprised him. It kept River from vomiting on him, or worse still in his mouth. Simon was puking a few seconds later and Riddick wondered why they hadn't invented something better yet. They probably had and it just wasn't on civilian market. He could have stayed in Rangers, been privy to all this, but that meant turning a blind eye to everything he saw. He could barely do that now, after almost a decade of running and living for himself and the Beautiful scent.

"I thought you didn't eat anything," Riddick tried not to laugh. He was holding Beautiful's hair back while she continued to paint the floor. Simon had changed into his scrubs and he seemed to be looking for a bucket, but he also seemed to be having some trouble standing.

"She was fed by Sisters." River reached over for her discarded clothes and used her shirt to wipe her mouth. "Looks suited to being in a hospital now."

Riddick had changed from the medic uniform to that of an orderly while he was waiting. No one would question a big guy in a uniform on the core. Whether it was civilian police, private security, or hospital staff. Big guys were never questioned, merely waved along with their charges; His size and stance would mark him as a private nurse in a place like this.

"Private care is never cheap," River hummed as she was wheeled along. Out of the morgue and down the corridors that would take them to the imaging center. Her body tensed as they came near one of the recovery wards. "Can be rewarding. Filled with Toombs, can't go there."

"River, it's the recovery ward, no one is going to die in there." Simon leaned down and smiled. "We came from the place-"

"Not tombs, Toombs," Riddick corrected. He started to wheel River back from the doors. "Merc. Must have done something right if the guild is treating him here."

"There's no other way for us to get to the imaging center," Simon looked back and forth from Riddick to the door. "Not without passing more sensors and taking an extra hour at least."

"His sister needs you Simon," River whispered. She held up a hand, listening to something no one could hear. A sad smile spread across her face oh so slowly as her hand lowered. "Her heart whispers and murmurs, mumbles out until it goes silent."

A machine started to fidget inside of the recovery ward and before a real thought entered anyone's head, Simon had darted in and started barking orders.

"Classic misdirection," River hissed. "She can walk, and running will be faster than the chair."

She wanted him to go into the room where Toombs was already panicking. Three of the biggest bounties currently on the boards in one room and one she'd thrown in front of him on the good faith he'd ignore it in favor of his sister's life.

"Hurry, he's beginning to look at Simon's face."

He took the girl into his arms and moved through the recovery room. Stoney faced and all soldier as he kept his eyes on the exit at the other end of the room. Nurses jumped out of his way and River was putting on a good show of trying to escape him, even going so far as to kick over a tray of tools. No one gave them a second look though. Not even Toombs, who's scent had gone from worried to wondering. Big guys were never questioned.

Things were taking a bit longer than planned for everyone on Serenity. Unless you were a pilot or a mechanic. If you were one of those two then you were perfectly fine. Actually, if you were a pilot, a mechanic, or a first mate, then you were having a very lovely time. Yes, Wash had managed to convince Zoe to come along on the caper and then convince her to take a few steps off of the medicraft to a little bistro he knew of not too far from the hospital. A bistro that made most of it's money catering to the maternity ward and women who were in a family way.

It wasn't a bioluminescent lake, but Wash would take what he could get right now. If Zoe wanted to have a gourmet sundae made from wax peppers, chocolate syrup, and cottage cheese, he would bend over backwards and act as a table for her. He was really just happy to take her someplace that didn't serve protein cakes and stale water.

"Which planet did you grab her form?" Riddick asked as he leaned against a free console. His hands were gripping his biceps to keep from tearing into everything around him.

"They've moved by now," Simon shook his head. He was forcing himself to look at the scan of River's brain instead of focusing on anything else. Globules of Spirits were building up in her brain stem and behind her eyes. They'd been gathering around her heart and her stomach and ovaries before Simon had focused on River's brain. Her brain was missing an entire section, and not just any bit, They'd taken away the part that let her control her emotions. The part that could have kept him from know anything, even with scent.

"Anni Khal," River extended her hand. She was scared, relieved, worried, but most of all she seemed relaxed. "The secret is out and she finally knows it."

"What would grandmother say," Simon tried to smile.

"Probably try to smother you in your sleep," Riddick grinned. He moved to take River's hand into his own and was a bit surprised to see his own skeleton appear beside hers. Her spirits were beginning to spread through her system as his trickled in through the skin. "Or wonder why she hadn't given you a better chance."

"I somehow doubt that." Simon's answer was distracted as he watched the interaction. "Her system is taking cues from yours...What...what are those?"

Riddick didn't answer. He kept watching the imager as it covered the unorthodox treatment. River was the one to answer her brother. Just as well, Shirah had never really told him what they were. The Spirits were vaguely intelligent microorganisms that had created a symbiosis with the original human female settlers of Furya. They'd attempted to create a bond with the male settlers, but according to River, it didn't really mesh with everyone's plans. Over time, the women and the Spirits had developed a repertoire and eventually came to an agreement over their distribution.

"Your daughter will have them." River smiled. "Grandmother liked you just enough."

Simon smiled faintly before taking a deeper look at the scans. He tried to keep his focus purely on River's system but when he glanced over at Riddick, the larger man let out a grin and the doctor went to town on the new data before him.

"Better picture." River let out a deep breath and her eyes drifted shut. "Differences are negligible, basic human function. Sees the forest now instead of trees." Her eyes shot open a few seconds later and the spirits were buzzing in her system. Buzzing enough to make Riddick's start to glow. Like a bottle of water tilted from end to end, the reactions kept reflecting one another and building up. "Toombs gave a head start. Tired of trying to get more information. The wrong blue is coating the sky!"

Riddick didn't wait to pull River up from the bed and Simon had been smart enough to load the scans onto his portable. Never could depend on Toombs for anything but a ride from here to there.

~!~

The pilot, the first mate, and the mechanic were excited to help Mal and Jayne load the caskets back onto the medicraft. All three were grinning and even though Zoe didn't really help, she held their hats and welcomed them back.

"How much did we get?" Wash asked as he set himself into one of the pilot seats. What a strange little vessel this was. Room for three medics and two pilots, plus a little bench for family that wanted to ride along.

"Enough to keep us flying," Mal answered. He patted one of the caskets. "Maybe enough to fly us some place without a job waiting."

"Can we fly someplace with a beach?" Zoe asked.

"Maybe a naked beach," Wash grinned.

The married couple smiled at one another and Mal had to look away from it. Jayne was looking pretty darn thoughtful though. That never turned out well for Mal. Thoughtful Jayne tended to mean an angry pair of Serras or a death threat from the entirety of the crew.

"Got words?" Mal asked.

"Just thinkin, they got a few beaches out on Ether. Wouldn't mind it overly much if I could see my ma for a couple hours. Maybe have her meet Kyra." Jayne was looking at the casket of liquid cash with a face like a kicked puppy. Gorram but Mal had a weakness for keeping families together.

"Ether ain't all asylum," Mal agreed. He'd folded his arms in front of himself and wondered how to say his next words. "Fairly certain I might have some old war buddies livin' out there too. Nothing wrong with having a bit of a reunion."

Jayne looked up at him with thanks in his eyes. He wasn't getting emotional though, his face was still serious and strong, his eyes were still dry. Jayne was an idiot most days and a certified numbskull on his particularly grand ones. He did have moments though, and as much as they tended to go against Mal's plans, they were pretty good ones.

"I'll be sure to let folks know," Jayne nodded. "Means no knives though. No guns either."

"I take it you won't try taping anything to your stomach?" Mal smiled faintly.

"Not a chance."

Riddick was going to kill Toombs. Her really was. One day when it was just the two of them or they weren't stuck on a core planet, surrounded by Alliance and purple bellies. Oh, and lets not forget the necros hiding out somewhere or the blue-hand operatives that River kept mumbling about.

"Simon, get to the rendezvous." Riddick pulled them into a hallway just before a pair of Mercs came through. "River and I are going to head over to the Companion's Guild, try and meet up with Jack and Inara."

"No," River shook her head. "No, the Silence are waiting. Watching for starry eyed boys and moon brained girls. Healing and hurting as they shoot poisoned arrows into the sky."

"Are Kyra and Inara okay?" Simon asked. He was glancing from the door to a rather tight air duct.

"Inara is sick," River whispered. Her hand was running through her hair and Riddick wanted to know why he hadn't run across the hospital shouting for Toombs. Might have given them a few hours at least. "Can't leave a mate, can't let her suffer."

"Simon, same plan, you head to Mal, let them know we're going to be late." Riddick kept his eyes on the corridor Toombs' men were inspecting. "Less you know, better off you'll be if you get found."

Simon looked ready to argue with him, but Riddick had been watching the corner where the men had disappeared and the doctor was soon shoved out the door. It was funny to watch him go from panic to pompous. Really funny. Simon's entire being changed and Riddick could see that he Belonged in a hospital. River's hand slid into his and her scent shifted slightly.

"Where he was meant to be."

"He's meant to be where he wants to be," Riddick whispered back. "With us, on Serenity."

The mercs were coming back now, but Simon had disappeared into an elevator with a few other doctors who looked equally haughty and privileged. He'd even started talking to them and they'd been laughing as the door slid shut. Toombs' boys saw the door he and River were hiding behind and Riddick knew he was going to be changing clothes as soon as they managed to get out. Riddick pushed River back against the wall and adjusted his grip on a blade he'd nicked form the morgue. Wasn't a knife, or a shiv, but it was sharp and easy to work with.

The first one in didn't even see him coming and the second only barely saw River. He didn't have time to make a game of things. He was in the wrong place with an untrained sidekick. Didn't mean he couldn't show off a bit though.

"Time?" Mal asked as he leaned back against the medicraft. He was keeping watch for Simon and now that he'd seen a few other medics milling about on break or nurses on their smoke breaks, he could see that they probably made just enough to live. They were all tired, hungry, and annoyed by the patients who came in. A little cluster of nurses were even talking about splitting housing costs by getting a two bedroom; there had to have been five women standing together. Not everyone in the Core was rich and happy and somewhere he knew that. The wait staff and the people who actually worked always had a little less to live on no matter where they were. He somehow figured that nurses and medics might have something good going for them, instead they had ungrateful patients and impotent, pigheaded doctors who harassed them or got them fired.

"Ten minutes past Rendezvous," Wash replied. Zoe had gone back to the ship with Kaylee and a diaper-bag full of meds in case anything went south. "Things are looking a bit warm captain."

"Something's happened," Mal pursed his lips. "Jayne, you see 'em yet?"

"Negatory," Jayne's voice came from atop the craft. He was pretending to sleep after they'd seen a few other medics climb on top of the crafts and take their own naps. "Wait a second. Got one comin' our way."

Wash had climbed inside of the craft to see if Kaylee and Zoe had gotten back yet. Mal could hear Kaylee respond to Wash's question about security alerts but he could also see Simon looking very Doctor-ish and angry. The little cluster of nurses fluttered off as he came closer and every medic had climbed back into their ship as quick as possible without being noticed. Wasn't fair that people worked so hard and lived in fear.

"Inside, now."

Mal felt his own bit of fear for a moment. The door of the craft slid shut and Simon nearly collapsed onto the bench in the back.

"What's going on?"

"Toombs," Simon sighed. "River and Riddick are going to find their own way back, but we have to go now." Jayne clambered down into the craft with a look of his own and Mal knew things were really close to the South Pole.

~!~

"I hate seeing her like this," Kyra sighed. They were on the second segment of the marrow transfusion and Dr. Vaako was looking more drawn with every injection. "She's always trying so hard to be happy or assure everyone else. Always offering herself to anyone who needs it, but she never takes anything for herself."

"Two out of five," Dr. Vaako hummed. "Do you know what she meant?"

"I'm not privy to Companion knowledge. I only manage her schedule and arrange transportation." Kyra smiled sadly. "Sometimes I double check security, but she's stopped bothering with it lately."

The machine beeped and Vaako replaced one of the canisters before he spoke again.

"Her illness, it's seen as a precaution on Xibalba, isn't it?"

"Anti-incest. Xibalba is just at the border of the Mesotec and Islamic sectors and just in between Rim and Core." Kyra rose from her seat to readjust her sister's veil. "Everything on that gods forsaken rock is seen as the fault of a woman. Doesn't matter what the problem is or who started it, it's our fault."

"Foolish ideals," Vaako scowled. It was close to a sneer and for the barest of seconds, Kyra was a bit afraid. "It makes me glad to know the two of you were able to escape."

"We were lucky," she nodded. "I just wish she'd been luckier."

"I think she will be."

~!~

Two Furyan's stalked through the hospital basement giving off the faintest blue glow as they went. The lights hadn't been cut, not entirely, but something had happened to make the lights go down and now they were taking out more than just mercs. Operatives had come through upstairs and to hear River whimper and tug him away from doors, they were hunting them down too. Riddick had been forced to leave Operative training before he'd gotten into the real heavy stuff. Damn good thing too.

"Gotta use that thing now," he whispered to her. "Got three mercs up ahead and a purple belly. I can't take them all without letting the Blue Meanies know about it."

"The girl knows, she will take the other girl. Her mind is distracted." Whatever had distracted the other girl was making his Very unhappy. It made him smile as they ducked through the doors and into the corridor where their prey would soon pass by.

The purple belly was taking lead, all professional pride and Core stink that was soon spilling across the floor. Riddick realized that he liked scalpels. Easy to hide and sharp, they cut through just about anything including the body armor that left a body's sides exposed. He was only vaguely aware that the woman went down next, slower than he'd taken the officer down, but he was more focused on his hunt. First the young guy, blade right through to the brain stem, then the elder with a slightly less quick death. Finally the other woman went down and Riddick decided he really needed to know what she'd been thinking. Later though. Riv was starting to shake again and mumble about blue skies and blind men. Good. They'd almost made it to the emergency exit. Just through the next room and they should be able to hide out for a while.

"Two by two, gloves of blue," River hummed as he pulled her into the final room. "Can't be scanned, can't see. See the blind spot, hear the Silence. Jabbing needles into her eyes and demanding to know what she sees!"

"Your eyes are fine Khalessi," he pushed her towards the door. "Shining bright, seeing what they need to see." His white uniform was dark with blood and for the first time he wasn't having as much fun as he usually did during a chase. He grabbed for the door only to let out a roar. Electronic lock must have kicked closed when they cut the power. "Graddakh...Riv, you see me fall, I need you to go straight to Vaes Tolorro, you got me?"

"Richard," River pressed against him.

"Do you got me?" Riddick snarled as he brought the Morgue blade in front of him. They were coming for her and he knew they'd snatch him up just as fast. Two heads were better than one; male and female made a matching set.

The door opened up behind them with a blast and Mal's scent hit Riddick in a wave, followed close by Jayne's. The captain was smiling, but he wasn't at all happy about things. Riddick was sure he had some kind of smartassed one-liner loaded up, but getting out was more important than giving Mal any sort of glory. Both of them pushed him out of their way and jumped into the waiting Medicraft without pause.

Mal was smart enough to run close behind them. The scent of...blue...had come into his senses when the door finally slid shut and Wash was lifting them away.

~!~

Kyra was worried when her Inara insisted on walking upright out the front doors of the guild, but she seemed to be doing it for a reason not relating to the grace of a companion. Actually, she seemed to be smiling a bit differently as her doctor escorted her to the entry hall of the companion's hospital. It was a strange thing to see, a delicate woman leading a blind man through the mysterious halls. Blindfolded, technically, but it sounded way more poetic the other way. Or something. It made Kyra smile. She loved Mal like a father, and once she wouldn't have minded seeing her sister and him arguing over paint chips and furniture. Thing was though, once she started seeing her crew in actual relationships, strangely functional and bordering on unreal, the more she started seeing how unrealistic Mal and Inara were.

Would Mal understand if he found out about Inara's illness?

Could he do it?

"I do wish I could see your face before you leave," Dr. Vaako spoke when they came to a stop before the front doors.

"Perhaps the fates will give you their favor and we'll meet again." Inara was smiling wider than she'd done in a long while.

"Perhaps so. Though fate is often fickle, and a man must create his own." He smiled in Inara's direction and neither sister could say it was unattractive. "May your fate be forged by your own hand."

"May your own be without flaw or nick," Inara replied. She bowed lightly, and though he couldn't see, the soldier doctor was bowing to her in return. Then Inara did something rather surprising for everyone in the room, including trainees and footmen and other companions.

She kissed her doctor on the corner of his mouth.

The doors were opened and Inara left in a flutter of silk and linen, Kyra a half step behind her. The doors were shut and the doctor was being led to another door in the back of the building. His own conveyance was waiting to take him back to the hospital or his home, whichever they'd kidnapped him from, and he'd never speak of his time in the temple again. What a souvenir though!

"You kissed him..." Kyra teased as they rode back to the ship. They had a carriage this time around, with real horses and a canopy to keep the sun off.

"I did," Inara laughed. "I have no idea why but it seemed...it seemed like the thing to do."

"It seemed like he was super cute and you couldn't resist," Kyra corrected.

"Perhaps." Inara was looking at the road ahead of them, smiling still despite the pain in her bones. "Something about his words rang so clearly though. I left the temple to forge my own path and to find you. After I found you I thought I was done, I'd figured it out." She looked down at their joined hands. "I haven't though. My life isn't over yet, and I don't think it will be for a while."

The ride back to the ship was relaxing and Inara even asked the driver to take them around Lake Salome before he took them back to the docks. The very human driver didn't seem to have a problem with that, taking them just a bit slower as they rode. It felt nice to take things slow and ride around the glowing green lake. It didn't seem like a thing to swim in, though there were plenty of people all around it, laying in the sun or playing in the water. Having a picnic or a party in the gazebos. Zoe would have hated it, Kaylee would have been interested for a few seconds, and River would have scienced it away in seconds.

"I wonder if your doctor likes this place?"

"Shut up."

Kyra laughed and did the exact opposite. Even the driver seemed to giggle now and again as they spoke. It wasn't too long before the were at the docks, the driver looking at the ship with a healthy respect while he unloaded their bags. Inara paid him well and tipped him a lot more than he'd been expecting before offering him a blessing and prayers for his happiness. He bowed in returned and thanked her, giving his own before hopping back into the carriage and riding off.

"Oh! Hey Inara, Jack, how was the doctor's office?"

"Same as last year," Inara answered with a smile. There was a challenge in her eyes when she looked at Jack. Okay, fine, she'd leave it alone. "What's going on here?"

"Where's anyone?" Jack agreed, turning to see Zoe eating something as she waited on a pile of crates.

"Oh, well, let's see," Kaylee was smiling and just a little bit vacant as she ticked her fingers off. "We killed Simon and River," Inara couldn't keep from gasping and Jack wondered if she'd stopped breathing, "Stole a bunch of medicine, and now Jayne and the captain are off springing those what got pinched by the feds." She leaned over and looked past the sisters. "There they are now!"

An ambulance pulled into the cargo bay and Jack wondered what the hell they'd done. She didn't have much time to ask because Mal was hopping out, followed by Simon and River and then Riddick, while Jayne pulled up the rear with a big gun and Wash climbed out from the cockpit.

"Tell me we weren't followed," Mal spoke to Wash. He hardly tipped his head to welcome the sisters back.

"Nothing in our rear-view the whole way back," Wash answered as he darted over to the stairs and up.

"Take us home then," Mal called as Wash disappeared from sight. "Ladies, welcome back. Iffin you'll find a seat and strap in, we'll be breaking atmo in a little under five minutes." He paused for a beat. "How was your thing?"

"Lots of needles and cold exam tables," Inara responded. "I heard you had some excitement."

Mal was ushering them up the stairs while River and Riddick climbed up behind them and simon headed towards the infirmary.

"Nothing much, lots of running around, bit of costumery."

"Knife-play in dark rooms," Riddick added on. "Couple of needles."

Jack didn't want to know. She really didn't. Instead, she went with Inara to their shared shuttle and Mal and the others went into the crew bunks or up to the cockpit. Zoe had gone after Simon to the infirmary and for the first time in a while, Jack wondered if she was ever going to get used to this ship. Then she realized that it was completely in accordance with everything they'd ever done ever.

~!~

"This is too confusing!" Jack laughed as she threw her cards down on the table. "Simon, I'm not a doctor, I doubt I ever could be, please stop using big words."

"I'm just trying to explain the game," Simon shrugged. He was smiling as he picked her cards up and reshuffled them. "I'll try to use little words though. Teeny tiny, little words, nothing bigger than seven letters."

"Oh shut up," Jack flicked a bit of her tea at him. She glanced over at the couch where a faint blue shine could be seen coming off of Riddick and River. "So what are they doing?"

"Furyan thing," Simon answered shortly. He looked over his shoulder and then back at the deck. "Looks like they're reading though."

"Must be a good book." Mal slid into his seat and took a draw from his coffee. "You get what you needed?"

"Yeah." Simon nodded and dealt Mal into the game. "I have to take a few more looks at it, really assess what's going on, but...I'm hopeful." He looked it too. His shoulders weren't so tense and he didn't have the funny wrinkle on his forehead anymore. "It was nice to have the right tools again, but I realized how much I needed to be working on the Rim."

"Well, it's a good thing we kept some of those meds for our infirmary, isn't it?" Mal took a sip from his coffee and picked up his hand. "Alright, explain to me how to play Canasta."

~!~

Vaako looked at the image he'd captured while in disguise. The blue of her veil made it impossible for their technology to filter it out and show her face, but he'd something much better than a glimpse of her breeding shell. It was a lovely shell, to be sure, though it wasn't what had cemented his need to have her. It was the way she endured. The way she knew she would die, but continued on and accepted, embraced the pain that would give her life for another year. He was sure he wasn't supposed to know her name, but he did now, and more than that, he had the ghost of a kiss on his skin.

He flicked through the information as his ship broke orbit. They'd refueled and converted a few new brothers and sisters, they'd even taken a link to the Alliance data core. That gave him everything he needed to know. Inara Serra, priestess to House Madera, traveling guide and former companion was going to be much easier to track, as would the quarry she carried with her.

~!~

"Necromongers were found within the lower levels of Ariel City General Hospital." The operative listened as the agents relayed their news to him. "Along with several members of the Mercenaries Guild and two members of the civilian Police."

"Guardian Corp or general forces?"

"General forces," the agents answered. "The Guardian Corp could not be trusted to keep their silence regarding what was found."

The Operative nodded and watched as nothing took out the mercenaries. Nothing moved from one side of the screen to the other, only flickering into something for the barest second. Two somethings that took down four opponents; one of them taking their time with the female mercenary. The something became just a bit clearer for the barest of seconds and it showed itself to be feminine. River Tam had all sorts of tricks when she was with her new partner.

"Have we pulled Richard B. Riddick's files?" the Operative asked.

"Affirmative," an agent walked forward with a data chip. "He was in line for your position."

A handler. River M. Tam's handler was supposed to be her chosen mate and for the barest of seconds The Operative wondered why Riddick had left his post. It was emblazoned upon his files. Uncontrollable. Non-programable. Regardless of Authority. Hardly an issue. Murderer. Escape artist. Even less of an issue there. Nothing in his files suggested he'd have been thrown away so simply when he was the perfect match for Operative.

"Hm."

He'd simply been in the right place at the wrong time. The Operative would have to finish cleaning that mess up before he continued on with the hunt. Two heads were better than one, and they would make a matching set.


	19. Santa Maria

The halls of Serenity were as they'd always been. Not too loud, not too quiet, but full of the sound of life and crew. Of happiness and the normal simmering of a legendary Washbourne argument. Was it legendary if it happened all the time? Probably not. Jayne was down in the bay with Richard, lifting weights and talking in the way only troublesome men could. They didn't talk to the captain, couldn't talk with the captain they way the did with one another. There was a lack of suitable conversation starters between them, and far more conversation enders than middles. No, Mal wasn't with the boys, he was with Doo up on the bridge. Talking with Monty about some thing or other and the poorly veiled interest in the new revolution that was starting to heat up. That suited him so much more than being a smuggler, and so much less. He was a leader either way, sitting at his desk with his faithful hound. Simon and the shepherd were down in the infirmary, talking on philosophy as they usually did. It was good to know that everyone had someone to talk to, even someone so 'refined' as Simon and devout as Book. Then there were the girls. Kaylee and River and Jack. The first two were running through the halls in a game of chase, gleeful over something so simple and pure. The last one was trying to figure out how to meld a low-grade weapons system with Serenity and occasionally tossing something at the other two when they passed her. All in good fun of course.

"Is it even legal to have a plasma cannon on our ship?" Inara asked her sister. She'd refilled their tea a few moments before.

"If we get the right paperwork in order," Jack nodded. "The right paperwork could say we're everything from a Companion ordained transport ship to a Rim Rescue operation. Of course, the right paper work could grab us a lot of things, but this works best for our little operation."

Inara raised a brow. "Does Mal know you turned his ship into a Companion Rescue?"

"He will eventually." Jack was grinning over the edge of her cortex, husking goggles glinting with endless numbers and characters. "Besides, he's already working as a vessel for a scout, why not make it all refined and dignified?"

Inara didn't mention that Mal had come to stand in the door. Doo loped in just before Mal spoke up, causing Jack's shoulders to tense ever so slightly. This wasn't an argument per se, though it would seem to be one, more Mal judging to see if his heiress was worthy and smart enough to keep a ship running once he'd gone to the farm.

"Maybe because the captain ain't against throwing your scrawny little _pi guh_ in the hold?" Mal came to stand at the head of the table, arms crossed as he gave Jack a hard look. "Ain't no reason for different papers than we got."

"There is if we want to have something besides a couple pop guns the fend of Reavers and Necros," Jack argued. "And we aren't Guild lapdogs, just on their roster of suitable, incognito, rescue and retrieve ships."

"Oh? And how exactly did you get around to explaining our little family to the nicely polished roses out on Shinon?"

"Ariadne," Inara corrected. "The companions guild is founded and run on Ariadne. Shinon is merely a training facility." Mal and Jack both gave her a blank look. "How did you explain our family to them?"

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds," She began with just a touch of drama, "renowned for his dedication to his men, took on their sadly orphaned children after the war ended." Jack hit a few buttons and turned her screen. On the screen were three new identities for the three fugitives downstairs. One was coming up the stairs and through the kitchen before disappearing again. "Meet, Deana and Richard Da Silva, married, and Samuel Winchester. The brother in law."

Mal leaned closer and inspected the new idents. "John was a good guy, probably would have blown a gasket if his kid ran off to be a doctor though. Didn't fight so much for equality as revenge. Christopher...had a sort of an air about him. Took to the darker places more." He leaned up and nodded before smiling. "Now I really get to call him Ricky. Next time you run this by me first, hell, make it a breakfast thing in case we get some arguments about names."

Inara watched as her sister went back into the system, fully focused on getting everything in order so they could have a half decent defense system. It was a little surprising that Jack hadn't mentioned this little venture to Wash or Kaylee at all. She thought that the three of them would have worked out much more than this. Then again, with Wash going back and forth between indignant husband and daddy, and Kaylee getting all too distracted by new engine parts and Simon, Jack didn't talk to them as much.

Mal sat down and started going through yet another pile of papers while Doo flopped down at his feet.

Kyra was starting to come around more and more if Inara was honest with herself. Ever since Mal agreed to stop at Santa Maria, a place they'd be landing on in less than 24 hours, she'd started thinking more and more about the future, and panicking almost every time Kaylee brought up the idea of a big wedding. Jack tended to focus more on running the ship when it needed doing, but if it didn't, she turned into the shy girl and tried to keep her mind calm and clear.

"I'm sure Jayne's mother will love you," Inara finally told her sister. Kyra's hands had stopped moving a while ago and the reflection of a white dress could be seen in her husking goggles.

"I'm more worried about his sister," Kyra admitted. She pulled her gear off and flipped her cortex to show the dress she'd been looking at. "Mattie...she's not like the crew. No one is, never could be, but she's..." she trailed off and thought for a moment. "Jayne says she more likely to spit on a core girl than even talk to 'em. And it's not like the captain, it's not about freedom, it's a hatred for anything not from Santa Maria, anything that isn't from the Rim."

Inara understood then. There were always going to be people like that. People who wouldn't understand why you'd want something more and thought people who had more or wanted more were turning their backs on the 'real people' of the verse. Jayne's momma could prove to be troublesome if she didn't like Kyra, but Jayne's sister could make things miserable and messy.

"Well, if Mattie doesn't seem particularly interested in being civil, there's no real reason to spend too much time on making her think otherwise." Inara held Kyra's hand tightly in her own. "Besides, we might be able to say you're from the edge."

"The edge where the Islamic sector meets the Mesotec," she snorted. The Islamic sector didn't even reach the rim and the part of Mesotec it touched was right up there with Londonium.

"I wouldn't spend too much of my energy worrying about Mattie," Inara reaffirmed. "Not when Kaylee is trying to help pick your wedding dress."

There it was. Her sister's worry and fear was being pushed aside in favor of humor and exasperation. Good. Her sister didn't need to touch down on Santa Maira and then set foot into an asylum while gloriously nervous and snapping.

"Think if we tossed a rock or something they'd notice?" Kaylee was sitting next to Jayne and both were watching from the catwalk as River and Riddick did their 'furyan thing'.

"Reckon it might end up in my eye for not stopping you," Jayne shook his head. Spooky as those two were, and downright scary when Rick got bored, they were a helluva lot less scary than the wedding that kept looming in the distance. Wasn't the end result that had him worried, hell, wasn't even the ceremony or being permanently linked to the crew; not like he wasn't already attached to them. Nah. This came from a single source.

Mattie. Mathilda was and always would be, something of a shit-starter. Especially when it came to folk who didn't live on the Rim. Hell, she might even try to start shit with Mal for not settling down after the war. Wouldn't even see Zoe as Rim, having been born and raised on a skyplex, didn't matter it was closer to the edge. Gorram but wasn't this going to be all sortsa fun.

"Thinkin' on how to explain I ain't your wife?" Kaylee asked.

"Nah, just trying to think up how to keep things calm." Jayne looked down at the slightly less glowy folks and wondered if maybe he could talk his sister into... "We're going to need a no weapons thing during the ceremony." Kaylee looked at him in shock. "Yeah, I said it. Don't need no one gettin' shot or shanked because they happen to disagree over somethin'."

"I reckon that might be the first time you've said somethin' I can agree on Jayne." Mal had come up behind them only a few minutes ago, his boots scraping against the grating as each heavy footstep fell. There weren't many who could sneak round this ship, and even fewer who didn't like to make their presence known. In fact, the only folks who could were down in the bay talking gibberish to one another and...doin' something. Damn. Jayne was kind of hoping to go one on one with the other man for a few rounds. Best partner he'd ever had when it came to working out; Book just liked to talk and Wash...hell.

"Lucky me," Jayne snorted. "I get along with the in-laws."

"Very lucky," Mal nodded with a bit of a grin. "Means you get a quick, clean death via airlock instead of the super messy kind."

Wash's voice echoed through the ship a second later and Jayne watched the captain turn cold and stoney. Inara had a call waiting for her, live feed too. If Jayne had looked down into the hold he'd have seen River miss a step for the rage quickly coloring her face. He'd have seen Riddick's annoyance and best of all, he'd have caught the knife that was thrown up at the loudspeaker before sparks rained down on him.

~!~

Inara sat at the console and thought. If she answered this call, it would change things on the ship and on the ground. Of course, she didn't have any idea as to the extent of the changes it would make, but the man on the other end of this call knew something only a few others did. A deep and dark secret that led to a much darker past she'd rather keep buried beneath the capitol on Ariadne. A secret that didn't drive him away, as this was the fifth time he'd attempted to contact her and the fourth time she actually considered answering. It was terrifying to have him know so much and so little all at once. Letting out a breath, Inara reached for the curtain covering the vid-screen and answered the call.

"Priestess Serra," He spoke, his voice calm and cool. His hair was styled differently than usual, lax about his face, and he looked as though he were preparing for bed. He still looked rather pale though. "I'm very pleased, and rather embarrassed, that you answered."

"I suppose that makes two of us," Inara smiled. "I hope I'm not stopping a much needed nap."

"No, nothing that can't be pushed back,." Dr. Vaako gave her a smile. "I probably shouldn't be doing this, but ever since-"

"I can assure you, Doctor, that it is always a pleasure and a surprise meeting someone for the first time." Inara watched as his eyes flickered and he caught on. Doctors weren't supposed to follow after their patients, not that it ever stopped them, but it was the ceremony of the thing. "Is this your first time speaking with a Companion?"

"I would dare say it is," he nodded. "Though when I looked into the database, I saw that you'd been elevated to Priestess."

"A fantastic way to say I've retired," Inara rolled her eyes and laughed. "Now I'm responsible for finding beauty in strange places and sending it to be polished."

Vaako smiled before sitting up and bowing his head. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten. Siberius Vaako."

"A pleasure to meet you Siberius."

~!~

River was trying very hard to melt the door. It was simply molecules after all, they could move, shift, be walked through even. The density was too high though. She was not made of the right substance to walk through the closed door. She was not made from the right substance to move through the arms of a Khal either.

"Need to calm down Beautiful," he held her closer. "Gotta wait this out. See if she figures it out or if she's falling into the trap."

"She will jump," River leaned back against him. "The girl with a boy's name is safe now, happy and surrounded by family. The boy from the state home on Xibalba is alive and engaged. Wants a life of her own now. Any life, so long as she's alive."

"Any chance we can get her to Mal instead?" Riddick laughed. "or is that a bad plan?

"Not improbable. Must admit the truth in the heart of hearts, or they will continue to bicker and argue, tearing at one another until they are full of holes and all the kindness has seeped out."

"Let's hope we find Shirah before that happens. Settle down somplace and escape all this." Riddick gave her a quick kiss and a grin. "Maybe she'll let us keep Simon as a nanny."

The mirth and the smile spread through to her, teasing her own amusement until it came out to play and was radiated back and forth between the two. She could hear the shades of their bedroom in his mind, her laughter echoing of the walls until it turned to other sounds. Sounds that came during the acts that led to children. No. Not right now. Landing soon and weddings would follow, full of so many people. She shook her head and turned to bury her face in his chest.

"Simon has a great many things in front of him, and miles to go before he sleeps."

"That a fact?"

"The girl doesn't know."

~!~

Landing on Santa Maria had been relatively easy, especially once the crew roster was gone over and accepted as fact. Truth was they'd never had much of a security system. Didn't need one. There was of course the minor truth that Deana de Silva was a bit off kilter, but the docking crew assured them that so long as she stuck beside her husband, and everyone on the crew could vouch for her, she'd be just fine to wander around. They didn't keep anyone on the planet who didn't want to be; unless of course they were trying to steal a ship.

"Santa Maria," Jayne sighed as he looked up at the massive statue in the middle of the docks. A statue of a woman stood there with a hand outstretched and a smile on her face. "Been about ten years since I been home."

"Good age to leave home," Mal clapped him on the shoulder. "Twenty-something, world is still young and new-"

"Dad," Jack cut him off. "Jayne's only twenty-seven."

Mal looked back and forth between them, mouth gaping while the rest of the crew blinked in surprise. Excluding River and Riddick. One was busy watching the giant statue and the other...might have been sleeping for all the goggles hid. Simon was looking especially confused.

"I take it back," the doctor finally said. "You're in terrible shape for a man your age."

There was a laugh and Jayne gestured rudely to the doctor before he led Jack down the ramp and onto the docks. True to the crew's words, not a single scanner could be seen. Mal supposed that convicts and fugitives had families too. Lord only knew he'd met a few hwoon dhan that must have had crazy mommas. Served with a few as well. Jayne and Jackie were nearly out of sight as he followed the rest of his crew down the ramp. Interesting sight they all were. Damn pretty too. Inara and Kaylee were off to look for bridal salons while his funny furyan family was talking back and forth about tea parties and assault rifles. Mal chose to ignore that one for now. Zoe and Wash were still by the ship though, talking back and forth about baby stuff and if they had enough or not. Book was standing beside Doo, both watching him and waiting.

"You buy anymore baby crap and we'll have to turn a passenger bunk into a nursery," Mal scoffed. He'd been talking to the preacher man about finding just the right church and Book seemed to be all sortsa happy to do something bible-like for the crew. "We are Not turning a bunk into a nursery!"

Wash made a sound behind him and Mal kept walking.

"Wanna see if we can't find some sorta multiple religions temple or something," Mal shared with his friend as they started to walk away from the ship.

"Elysium itself has several multi-faith temples and prayer halls, and several more scattered across Santa Maria," Book assured him. Doo was running not too far ahead of them, marking this bush or that ship as he saw fit. "I wonder if I'll be able to meet with Jayne's priest beforehand though. I shouldn't like to step on any toes."

"I'll let you find that part out," Mal brushed it off. He whistled for Doo and the dog bounded over with his tongue lolling and his tail wagging. "So, which of these...churches do we hit up first?"

Book smiled and Mal felt a sudden dread overcome him. Now he knew why captains never let people marry their daughters. It involved a lot of monkey-suiting and church-going.

~!~

"So," Kaylee leaned closer to Inara. "Who was it?" She'd never seen Inara blush. Rage yes, mostly at the capt'n, but never blush. She gasped. "You like him don't you? Is he handsome and romantic?"

"I'm sure I have no idea if he's romantic," Inara focused instead on the dress in front of her. It was always a fuss getting Jackie to wear something she'd actually like. She wasn't slinky like Zoe or frilly like Kaylee, she wasn't super glamorous like her sister neither. Jackie was simple, lot like Jayne actually. Maybe that's why they got on so well.

"So it is a He," Kaylee grinned. "Well what's his name?"

Inara let out a breath and looked at another dress before looking up and then back to Kaylee.

"His name is Siberius."

"Like the regent of Kree-lar?" Kaylee asked. "Wow, I bet his parents were all sortsa creative. I wonder if he has a sister named Phyla, or a brother named Genis?"

"While I'm very impressed you have actually read one of the books I loaned you, I doubt anyone's parents would name their children after that pair," Inara laughed. "He's been asking when we're likely to return to the core."

"Bet you're sorry you couldn't give him an answer." Kaylee made a face as she thought about it. It was all just a bit unfair. Inara was free to love whoever and Mal couldn't give two farts or even look her way. Maybe he really just didn't like the idea of prostitution. "Well, Cap'n's bound to get a kinda core job sooner or later. I bet if we asked Jackie-"

"I told him we were heading for Elysium," Inara interrupted her. "He seemed...rather interested in attending as my escort."

"Wou duh tian ah!" Kaylee squealed in delight. She grabbed the companion in a hug and held her tightly. "Wow, Oh Nara, I'm so happy you're gettin' a nuhn ze huhn instead of some gussied up guy who likes to stab people with swords."

"But you can't say anything to Mal," Inara cut her off. "He'll throw a fit and the whole thing will be just ruined."

"Shi yan!" Kaylee held up her hand. "I won't say a thing to nobody!" Wow...Inara had herself a fancy date. "What's he do?"

"He's an army doctor," Inara laughed.

"Just like the regent!"

~!~

Jack was trying very hard not to be nervous as she walked with Jayne towards the building where his mother was housed. The Halls of Esther were special for the woman of their faith and Kyra felt just a bit out of place. Wasn't like she was a crislam walking through a jewish women's home or a Core girl trying to get in good with her Rim-born family. Nope. Not a thing to worry about.

"Kyra." Jayne was shaking her. "Damn girl, ain't nuthin to worry about, Ma'll love you."

"Jayne," She sighed and put her head against his chest. "I'm always going to worry if your mother likes me. I'm not exactly a prime example of a good wife."

"And I'm a terrible example for a husband," Jayne kissed her hair. "Ma ain't much for stickin' to rules. So long as you're nice and don't let yourself get bossed around you'll be fine."

Kyra nodded, not trusting a word he was telling her. Boys could do no wrong, didn't he know that? God. Her childhood was catching up to her at the worst possible moment. No Kyra, Boys are not more worthy, just louder and they can travel easier. That's all. Look who was acting captain? She was. And she was going to own her own ship when the time came! It wasn't like Radiance could forbid him from marrying her. At least, Jayne wasn't likely to listen if she did.

"Your sister isn't in there, is she?" Kyra asked before Jayne knocked.

"No, she's out wrastlin' cattle or somethin."

"Of course," Kyra nodded. "Alright, let's do this."

Radiance Cobb was a very dignified woman. Very dignified. Dark hair was lit with silver on either side and her skin shone with an inner light. Her smile shared that light with the world. She was everything Kyra had ever wanted in her own imagined mother. Everything she'd dreamed she might have had until she found out the truth of things. Seeing it now was just enough to make Kyra keep herself from crying. The worst part was, Radiance knew it. The woman smiled kindly and held her arms out for a hug.

"Oh hush now," the older woman whispered. "Where's that brave young woman who wrote me all those letters?"

"Sorry, I'm just, falling apart spectacularly," She let out a watery laugh. "You look like a mom."

Radiance took it in stride. It was true, she and Kyra had written each other for a long enough time that the tech girl needn't have worried at all. The best part of it all was knowing that Ma understood exactly what Kyra was going through. Every bit of worry and concern and even the overwhelming knowledge that yes, you would always belong somewhere. Then, with a very firm hand shake, Radiance pulled a board game out of one of her cabinets to see if she was any better at Go than her son was.

Which she was.

"Am I supposed to let you win?" Kyra asked as the game was drawing to a close. She'd been keeping it at a tie for most of the game, making a few leaps and bounds where it was needed.

"Well, I don't like losing," Radiance moved a piece. "And you're already taking my son from me."

"I thought you were gaining a daughter?" Jayne cut in. "A real lady-like one with a pretty face instead of a love fer cows."

"Don't you talk about your sister that way," Ma scowled at him. "Mattie's...a special type. Needs a kind of man who ain't afraid of her none." She pursed her lips at the newest move. "Didn't you say you got a big new hun dhan on board?"

"He's engaged," Kyra answered. She was pretty cornered on the board. "He and Rain must have fallen at about first sight."

"Damn," Radiance sighed. She glanced down at the board. "Damn. Girl, I think you might just be the best thing Jayne's ever brought home."

Kyra was very okay with that, and so, setting up the board again, they continued to talk on simpler things like wedding dresses and where the wedding was supposed to be held. There was talk of getting everyone geared up again, this time in monkey suits as opposed to their usual SHIELD shirts and Inara was reported to be bringing a date. Radiance Cobb hadn't heard so much gossip in one go since she was younger than Kyra.

~!~

Simon was vaguely uneasy as he and Riddick spoke on the quickest way to kill a man, but the further into the conversation he got, the easier it was to talk about it. He knew it wasn't hypothetical and he knew that one day he might even employ some of these methods. If he needed to put them into practice it was best to know which one would be most merciful and where he could run into some trouble with it. Maybe it wasn't the best subject to discuss in front of a cafe by the lake, but no one had complained yet and Simon doubted anyone would with Riddick's general self and Simon's shotgun easily within reach.

"Legs are messy," Simon shook his head. "I had to reattach a girls leg once-"

"Named her hamster for his deeds," River singsonged from her seat.

"Yes, she did, but it was an awful mess before that happened."

"Hard to imagine a doctor getting squeamish about blood," Riddick spoke over his teacup. He was grinning a cheshire grin that Simon had learned was his version of being friendly. Most of the time.

"I'm not squeamish, I just like things to be neat and orderly. I also like having competent assistants in the OR." Simon took a bite of his scone and River finished the story for him in her oddly poetic manner.

"Clipped the wrong wire," River nodded. "Drip, drip, all across the floor until Grif slipped and the tools all went flying. Nearly killed the girl."

"Yes well, we didn't tell her parents about that. I made sure the assisting surgeon went onto visual for a year at least." He snorted at the memory. "It's not so hard to tell that a clamped artery is clamped for a reason. Sorry, it just...I wonder if he graduated because his parents were just that rich."

"Coulda slept his way through it," Riddick suggested. "Back at Strikeforce there was a woman, used to call her Agent Cheesecake, aced most of her classes by sleeping with her teachers or throwing 'em off balance. Worked on most of us too."

"Even you?" Simon asked. River was looking at Riddick with curiosity now, dark curls falling from her carefully pinned style. Inara seemed to love trying to keep it tamed.

"Almost, she'd been trying for a while, never made any progress until we had to go one on one in combat training." He took River's hand into his own before he spoke again, kissing her knuckles and looking at her through tinted glass. "Middle of the fight she flashes me and grabs a hold. Stunned me for a good minute before I got my shit together."

"You punched her in the head, right?"

It was always interesting to watch River's ability to form coherent sentences when she was around Richard. Interesting and inspiring of just the right amount of jealousy as he watched them. Not that she was coherent every time she touched him; a lot of time even his brother-in-law had a brow raised.

"I punched her in the stomach," Riddick shook his head. "Cheesecake was good at what she did, at the time I thought we needed her to keep the peace. A concussion would have been bad for the team." The convict grinned. "Course, if you'd have punched her..."

"His mind swims in sewers," River snorted. She seemed to pause as she reached for her teacup, listening to something unheard before scowling deeply. She shook her head and pulled her hand back to her side. Like some of the other people in the open air teashop, she started to sway, pausing only when she opened her eyes to see Simon and Richard looking at her. "She is functional. Swimming minds are being picked at by kingfishers and turned into eggs. Worlds fall as they hatch until only a husk remains."

Simon had no idea and Richard was doing the raised brow thing that he was so very good at. River only pursed her lips and scowled. They'd figure it out eventually Simon nodded to himself. Possibly not until the shooting started, but that was why he'd taken Zoe's advice and kept his shotgun close by. Even Richard had brought his gun with him; despite assuring Mal he didn't need it, the man had discovered it was best for everyone if he just carried it.

"Simon is thinking of your ass," River turned to her fiance. The large man grinned at him and the other brow went up.

"I was thinking about our trip to Heath," Simon argued. God, if this got back to Kaylee... "It's really just astounding what it takes to convince our crew to do anything."

"No shame it in liking a strong body." River patted his hand and Simon wanted nothing more than to crawl under the table and hide.

"Nothin' like getting shot in the ass to give people reasons," Richard seemed to take pity on him. "You could have just asked though."

Simon let out a groan and allowed himself to lay facedown on the table. He only hoped Grandmother wouldn't tag onto it and decide to find him a husband as well. He didn't think Kaylee would be able to hold her own if it came to that. That or she'd want in on the whole thing and just...

~!~

Mal was steppin' foot into a lot more religious places than he'd ever thought on. First they hit up all of the multi-faith places, then the temples, then they went 'round to the mosque's to see if there was a holy man willing to act for Jackie or iffin they need to go wave Imam and get him over here. It was lookin' more and more like they'd need to send Wash to go and grab them. Now they were at a synagogue talking to Jayne's rabbi.

"This is going to be a dream or a nightmare."

"All weddings are a dream for someone," Rabbi Goldman shook a finger at Mal. So far as holy men went, he wasn't so terrible. Downright friendly even. "If Jayne's future wife can handle him as he is, she is quite the woman indeed, and I would be happy to officiate if only too meet her."

"Jackie certainly is something," Mal nodded. "Little disappointed I can't adopt her before I have to let her go."

"I'm certain you will always be the father of the ship," Book smiled at him. He and Goldman had been having a grand ol' time talking about all sorts of things since they'd come in. "Between Deana, Kyra, and Kaywinnit, you will be father for quite some time."

"You are the guardian of many children?" Goldman asked.

"Some of my men had families," Mal answered. "Never left a man behind, never left a child to fend for themselves."

"Between the Winchesters, DaSilva, and Kaylee you'll be too busy to scowl at Jayne," Book laughed.

"A father is never too busy to scowl at his son-in-law," Goldman argued. "It's his right, his duty even to make sure he continues to be the best man."

"See? It's my duty to threaten to shove him out the airlock," Mal looked to Book and gestured to Goldman and his words.

~!~

Jayne was with his mother while Kyra was out looking for dresses with the girls. Sort of thing seemed best left to women folk anyhow, and his Rabbi and Book were getting along like a house on fire. Left him with his Ma, Mal, and Mattie. Ma wanted to meet the man who'd taken on her son and agreed to let his daughter marry him and Mattie, well, she just sort of showed up. Not that he'd wanted to avoid seein' her or even hide that he was here, but having Mattie around _Complicated_ things a bit. Specially since she wanted Ma's wedding ring something fierce.

"Mattie, you watch your tone in these halls," Radiance scowled at her daughter. "I'm still alive and the ring is still on my finger."

Mal leaned over as his mother and sister began to argue. "I certainly do hope that this isn't going to turn into a shootout."

"Kyra and I agreed to a no weapons ceremony," Jayne answered back. Unfortunately Mattie heard him.

"Why can't I have my gun?" Mattie demanded. She had a strong Rim accent, and each word, while identifiable and understandable, was spoken in a way she couldn't be from any place else. "How am I supposed to celebrate my little brother settling down? You ain't moving to her planet, are you?"

"Ain't moving no place," Jayne scowled. He straightened up just a little bit. "Kyra and I are going to keep living on the ship, and you ain't bringing your gun because I don't want you shootin' half the damn crew."

"Why they hell would I shoot a browncoat...you didn't..." Mattie looked between Mal and Jayne with growing anger. "You got some core bride didn't you?!"

"Mattie!" Radiance shouted. "You are wearing my nerves and I simply can't have it. Kyra is a nice young woman-"

Jayne snuck out behind his captain, pausing by the door for just for a second to make sure there weren't anything nearby that could be used to kill the other. Mattie and his Ma were like oil and water; always had been and always would be. Orderlies were going by when he and Mal got to the front door, strong looking women and a single man who all looked like they could have given Jayne a run for his money. Not a one of them was armed but neither man doubted their ability for a second.

"Lookin' to be a mighty fine shindig you're having Jayne," Mal clapped him on the shoulder as they rode the trolly back to the shipyard. "Mighty fine indeed."

~!~

"Kyra, you can not walk down the aisle naked."

"I disagree."

Kaylee was watching as Jack and Inara looked over wedding dresses. It was a bit of thing for both sisters and mighty amusing for the mechanic and River. River, who had snuck into the shop at some point and left her big hun dhan and brother someplace unknown to watch the comedic stylin' of the Serra Sisters. Zoe was off in the restroom getting rid of her breakfast most likely. The shop girl was standing nearby, utterly befuddled and confused with formerly perfect hair breaking free from the bun she'd had earlier.

"Why not just pick something simple like?" Kaylee asked. "Ain't like we're all super fancy and civil."

"Crepe," River hummed. She was sitting next to a pile of wedding gowns, all fluff and frills and shiny silks. She turned to the shop girl. "Burberry crepe."

Confusion flickered for the barest of moments before the woman understood and scurried off.

"Riv, whatcha talkin' about?"

"What the hell is a burn berry?"

"Burberry is a clothing company," Inara answered as River began to pick through the pile of discarded gowns. "A very old one. It's not very common to see a shop outside of Londonium, or the major core planets."

The salesgirl came back with a dress wrapped in a bag and a hesitant look on her face.

"It's been in the back for a while," she explained as she hung it on a rack and began to unzip the bag. A soft hiss came out and Kaylee wondered what sort of thing it could be. "One of the locals...well, she had some things she couldn't exactly wear anymore, but I promise you, it's absolutely flawless."

Soft white fabric spilled out when the bag had finished opening and hanging there was something Kaylee wouldn't have imagined. It was kind of slinky, the way Zoe liked, and kind of teasing in a classy sort of way, the sort of dress Inara liked, and it was really light and simple the way River tended towards. It also had a bow on the back, satisfying Kaylee's tastes. Everyone turned to see Jack's face; that was the real question after all. Did she like it?

The tech girl and internum captain and soon to be bride moved closer to it, eyes brighter now than they had been at any other point during the day. A single hand was extended to feel the fabric and not a single breath was taken as they all waited for the verdict on the white dress in front of them.

~!~

He knew that she'd made her living off of lying to -and with- people. He knew this. Knew it in his bones because he'd lied to her about who and what his was. He told her what he'd been. Who he'd been before he'd become a soldier for the Lord Marshal. A general, yes, but a healer as well, with a scandalous family and the will the fight with his all. He kept that will to keep fighting, but now he conquered and destroyed. He didn't heal the sick and the wounded; he converted them and granted them divine mercy. They were similar, in a way. Comforting those who came running into their arms.

He wasn't keen on allowing her to continue her methods, but the Quasi-dead would guide her onto the new path.

Inara Serra would become Duchess Vaako regardless of her path after purification.

"It's complete nonsense," her voice carried through the air to his ears. "Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just set the whole place ablaze and be done with it."

"Inara Serra, I never knew you had such an unquenchable thrust for destruction."

"I have a low tolerance for ineptitude, there's a distinction." She took a sip from her tea and Vaako wondered if it would carry over into their life. "And, possibly a love for high density explosives."

"And?" he asked. "I seem to remember someone has the century's sharpshooting record." She was building up quite the kill count while on Serenity's crew as well.

"Alright, fine." Her laughter was musical. "You win this time. Being good at something doesn't mean you like it though."

"Is the life of a priestess so tiresome to you?"

"It has been...I don't know. It has been decidedly second tier in recent months." She exhaled and then looked at the screen. "Why am I always telling you these things?"

"I dare not answer that question Inara," he leaned back in his seat.

"How about my other one then?" she asked him.

"I shall be ready to attend your every whim tomorrow at 1100 planetside," Vaako bowed his head to her. Bowed, but never let his eyes leave her image. Though he might have eternity planned for them, though he might have her full figure within his grasp, she was not yet his, and her form was fragile. Her crew prone to idiocy.

"The wedding won't be until 1900," she argued. "Surely you don't intend to stay here for so long."

"I had intended to treat you to lunch, and perhaps speak without the buzz of recording devices in my ears." Vaako did not doubt she would take his offer. "If I am too forward..."

"No, no, it's just a surprise." Inara smiled and it was brighter and shier than some of the ones she'd given him before. "It's not often a companion encounters a man like yourself."

"Then I shall strive to be unforgettable for other reasons."

Vaako ignored the purifier standing in his door and continued to watch Inara Serra as she laughed and then explained the plan for tomorrow. Planning for other people wasn't something she was used to, he could see it, but she would be a wonderful hostess in their future. Dressed as she was now, in clothing more befitting a bed than the public eye, he doubted he might ever allow her out of their nuptual bed.

"I must relinquish you my dear," he smiled when she yawned for the second time. A delicate yawn that didn't help her at all. "Rest, and in the morning we shall meet one another for the _first time_."

"Tomorrow..." Inara was smiling. "Sleep well Siberius. And please remember that my crew is...lively."

"I shall dream of many things Inara. Good night."

~!~

So, I've actually had this chapter sitting on my desktop for like...i dunno, February? Don't get mad! I honestly forgot that i'd written it up, haha!

us . Burberry bow-back-silk-gown-p44988631 Jack's Dress

I had a terrible, wonderful, horrible idea for my next shot at Rivick, but I have this absolute fear that it would get out of hand very quickly. It would be incredibly funny though. I daresay it would even be a riot. Though the good kind of riot or the bad I don't know.

And Yes! I am a shipper of Inara and Vaako. I have whole stories and ideas planned out for their own little spin-off or even just the necros taking Shinon and various other bits and whatnots. And insults for the dame in the form wishing her hundreds of fat children! Wouldn't her hair just curl over that?


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